


Not Happening

by GeesCLUELESSgirl



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: - MIGHT BE TRIGGERING, Apologies, Bullying, First Kiss, First boyfriend, Flashback, Funeral, Guilt, Hand Jobs, High School AU, Homophobic Language, Illness, M/M, Major character death - Freeform, Minor Character Death, Missing, Panic Attacks, Rape/Non-con - Freeform, Shooting, Suicidal Thoughts, Trapped, Verbal Abuse, beatings, held captive, mentions of self harm, temporary memory loss, tied up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-06
Updated: 2017-05-09
Packaged: 2018-10-28 18:56:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10837347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeesCLUELESSgirl/pseuds/GeesCLUELESSgirl
Summary: Another fic from my back catalogue...on MCRFF...that I've edited and decided to put up here. It's old, so not great...but please give it a chance.Gerard is in love with his bully, who used to be his best friend...I'm sure you can figure out who that is.





	1. one

**Author's Note:**

> Gerard has been in love with his childhood best friend since forever...problem is that the friend is now his bully.
> 
> Will a new friend stop the pain?
> 
> * * *

Gerard Way wasn't surprised in the least when he found himself stuffed in his locker with a bloody nose and a split lip, after all, it was the fourth time it had happened in just this week. There were two things that made this time different from most though-  
1\. His phone had fallen out of his pocket when he received his most recent beating, so he couldn't call the one person he could always rely on to rescue him in these situations, Mikey, his younger brother.  
And 2. Mikey was off sick today anyway, so he wouldn't even be able to come find Gerard when he didn't show up to lunch. So now he was stuck here for goodness knows how long.

With his legs cramping up in the tight dark space, Gerard tried to fight back the tears that had threatened to fall ever since the black haired boy had grabbed him on his way to math class and dragged him into the boys toilets~

 _"Hey there fairy..."_

_Guess it's better than fag._

_"You been avoiding me?..."_

_Gerard shook his head quickly and stared at the grimy floor._

_"Well, I think you're lying."_

_And then Gerard's nose was bleeding, and his lip, and he thought he may have a cracked rib or two...and then he was being dragged out of the small smelly room, and being shoved into this little metal coffin._...

Gerard shuddered at the thought that this could be where he would take his last breath. It wasn't that he was afraid of death, in fact some days he'd gladly welcome it, but the thought of dying in a locker at school...well, that was just sad.

The tears were falling now, accompanied by heavy painful sobs that stretched his possibly broken ribs and just made him cry more. God he wished Mikey was in school today, or that he had a friend who could help him...or even just an acquaintance. But he didn't...no one would give him the time of day apart from to give him grief since he was 7 years old, that's half his lifetime ago, when he'd told the little black haired boy, who was his best friend at the time, even though he was two years older than Gerard, that he liked him as more than a friend...and then kissed him.

The little black haired boy hadn't taken it very well though...he'd punched Gerard in the eye, told him he hated queer little fags like him, spat on him, then proceeded to tell the whole school that Gerard had tried to touch him, therefore loosing him the few other friends he had at the time. And so, the years of beatings, wedgies, swirlies and being shoved into lockers began.

Gerard was starting to find it a little hard to breath now, what with the close quarters and his potentially damaged ribs, so now he was really starting to get scared. He'd been in there quite a while and each time he'd heard footsteps or voices, he'd banged and shouted for help but none ever came. He _did_ hear a few giggles and sniggers from just outside his prison, and one nasty bastard banged back, causing Gerard's ears to ring for a good five minutes afterwards, but not a single person came to his aid, not even a teacher.

It had been quiet for a while now, longer than an hour definitely, and that could only mean one thing...school had ended. Everyone had gone home and Gerard had been left in this small metal box, sobbing and gasping for breath...and worse than that; it was Friday. The whole weekend stretched out ahead, with no hope of rescue and it wasn't like his parents would care if their "stupid fag" son didn't come home, actually, they'd probably be happy about it.

Fuck, he hated Frank Iero sometimes...but the rest of the time, he couldn't help but still love him...the little shit! No matter what he did, he would always be Gerard's little black haired boy.

* * *

Frank Iero sat on the end of his bed, strumming away at his white Les Paul guitar and thinking about the events of the day.  
When he'd seen Gerard headed toward his second class that morning he couldn't resist. All he really wanted to do was get close to him, but after beating him up for pretty much the last 7 years straight, he couldn't face the humiliation that would come with making such a huge u-turn...so he'd done it again, then put him in his locker, a thing he'd done on many an occasion. It was ok though, cause his little brother always got him out. He'd be fine...right?

* * *

"Gerard...Sound off boy." 

Oh fuck, Dad. Gerard screwed his eyes shut and momentarily wondered if it might not be better to just stay where he was and die in the dark, probably not though. 

"DAD...DAD, IN HERE!" 

He shouted, pounding on the inside of the locker door. He wanted out, he just wished someone else had come to find him. Seeing the red metal door shaking, and hearing the voice coming from within, Don Way sighed deeply and shook his head...stupid little fag needed to toughen up, grow some balls and snap the fuck out of this phase. Perhaps he'd have to kick him out of it...or kick it out of him!  
Using the combination Mikey had given him, Don opened the door and let Gerard fall awkwardly onto the floor at his feet.

"Get up boy..." 

He grunted, not particularly bothered by the obviously injured state of his first born.

"Now." 

And then he turned and marched away, leaving the clearly traumatised Gerard to drag himself to his feet and follow after the Lieutenant General, his head hanging low and an arm wrapped tentatively around his damaged ribs. When they reached the car, Gerard winced as he climbed into the rear seat. Don tutted.

"Weak little freak." 

He muttered as he started the army-green truck and put it in gear, Gerard turning sad eyes to stare out the window. How much would it hurt if he were to open the door and jump out?...would it be enough to kill him?

As they arrived home, Gerard unclipped his seatbelt, climbed painfully back out of the vehicle and trailed his father up into their house. Mikey was sat on the sofa watching TV, with a blanket draped over his lap and a large mug of hot chocolate warming his hands.

"Gee...you ok?" 

He asked as his brother shuffled inside, still clutching his ribs. Gerard shrugged, his eyes glued to the faded brown carpet.

"Answer your brother, boy." 

Don demanded gruffly, clipping the teenager round the back of the head, maybe a little harder than strictly necessary. Gerard stumbled forward at the blow, a small yelp leaving his lips before he righted himself then did as he was told.

"I'm fine..." 

He said quietly, though it was fairly apparent that he was lying.

"Thank you Mikes."

Mikey frowned as he looked between his dad and his brother, then smiled softly.

"Come watch Dr. Who with me..." 

He suggested, knowing Gerard had a thing for David Tennant.

"I just started watching 'Tooth and Claw'...please?"

Gerard's face lit up, he loved his little brother and watching Dr. Who with him was one of his favourite pastimes.

"Ok." 

He nodded, starting toward the sofa. Don huffed.

"Don't you go turning Mikey gay, you little shit." 

Then he stomped off into the kitchen, slamming the door behind him. Gerard's lip quivered as he joined his brother under the blanket, Mikey wrapping an arm comfortingly around his shoulders.

"Ignore him Gee..." 

He whispered.

"He doesn't know shit!..." 

Gerard giggled a little through his tears, Mikey always did know how to cheer him up.

"You want to tell me what happened?"

Gerard's head dropped to rest on Mikey's shoulder.

"Not really." 

He murmured. Mikey understood, he knew that the older boy would tell him eventually, and he also believed that he already knew exactly what had happened...Frank fucking Iero, as always!  
God...why did that thug always have it in for Gerard? What did _he_ ever do wrong?

* * *

_**Phone call**_

"Hey Ray."

"Oh, hi Frank. What's up?"

"Nothin much. Just wanted to ask ya something."

"Yeah? What's that?"

Frank hesitated.

"You're friends with that Mikey kid, right?"

"You mean Mikey Way?"

"Uh, yeah."

Ray frowned.

"Yeah...why do you ask?"

Frank was sweating now.

"Just...I didn't see him today and I...err...I needed to speak to him." 

Yeah, that sounded believable...idiot! Ray was quiet for a moment, and Frank started to wonder if he'd hung up...then he spoke.

"He wasn't in today. Off sick" 

Oh...shit!

"R-really?" 

Frank stammered, his voice becoming high and pitchy.

"Yeah. Flu or something..." 

Ray coughed, he really should stop smoking.

"Look dude, I gotta go. Was that all you wanted to ask me?"

"Uh...yeah, yeah thanks man. I'll see ya Monday?"

"Sure. See ya." 

And with that, Ray hung up.

"FUCK!..." 

Frank threw his phone across the room, frowning as it pretty much disintegrated upon impact.

"Shit..."

If Mikey Way wasn't in school today, then that meant that Gerard would've probably been left in that locker all day, cause Frank knew that no one else would bother to rescue him, not even the damn teachers. And what if he'd been left _after_ school? Oh God, and it was Friday!...he could be in there all weekend... 

"FUCK!"

Decision made, Frank grabbed his Misfits hoodie and keys then headed out the door. When did it get dark? Frank looked at his watch and gasped...9:30pm. If Gerard was still ther, then he'd been stuck in that box for over 12 hours. He had to hurry. It was only three blocks from Frank's house to the school so he ran all the way, his grubby red converse slapping harshly against the sidewalk. When he reached the building he liked to call "Hell", he suddenly realised that there was a problem, it was 9:35 at night, and all the doors were locked.

"FUCKFUCKFUCK!" 

God, this was so bad. Rattling the front door, Frank felt hot tears begin to stream down his face. Why was he such an idiot? Why couldn't he be normal?...Why couldn't he just tell Gerard that he was in love with him?  
Feeling sick, Frank slid down against the door and cried.

"Gee...I'm s-sorry." 

He sobbed. Would Gerard ever forgive him for this?...he wasn't so sure.  
Frank knew that there were always detentions held on Saturday mornings, (he'd had to attend enough), so the doors would be unlocked at about 7am. Frank pulled his hood up over his head and buried his hands in his pockets, then got as comfy as he could in the cold doorway. He'd be there when the doors were opened and he'd finally tell Gerard the truth. Sobbing quietly, he just prayed he wasn't too late.

* * *

The weekend went by fairly uneventfully, with Gerard holed up in his bedroom alone, avoiding his dad and blasting Fall Out Boy through his headphones as he sat at his desk drawing.  
His pictures always fell into one of three categories.  
1\. Mikey. He loved his brother, and drawing him always chilled him out.  
2\. Death. He was kinda obsessed with anything dark and scary, sort of like his life.  
3\. Frank.  
He'd been drawing Frank for as long as he could remember, despite how the older boy treated him, cause he was just so beautiful and so good to draw. Who did he think he was kidding?...that wasn't why he drew him so much, like ten times more than either of his other subject matters...it was really because he was completely, undeniably, and uncontrollably in love with the little jackass.

But now it was Monday morning and that meant school, and school meant six excruciatingly long hours surrounded by morons who all, with the exception of Mikey, wanted him dead. It had been that way since 2nd grade, and he was pretty sure it would never change.  
Now at the age of 14, he should've been a Freshman, but because he was a bright spark and because he had no friends, therefore he had more time to study, he'd been skipped ahead two whole years, making him a Junior...and that unfortunately put him in Franks year, and in most of his classes. Fuck...how he wished he were an idiot like everyone else sometimes.

Slipping on his cheap knock-off Vans and adjusting the sleeves of his Green Day hoodie, pulling them down to hide the ugly pink scars that littered his forearms, Gerard grabbed his school bag, a black cloth messenger bag that he'd customised with pictures of zombies, vampires and other assorted dead folks that, if you looked close enough, all bore a striking resemblance to Gerard himself, and headed out the door, pausing only briefly to call his brother to hurry the fuck up.  
With Mikey trailing a little behind him, still half asleep and dragging his feet, Gerard walked toward the bus stop.

Gerard hated the bus...all those little fucktards that treated him like shit every day would spend the entire 20 minute ride to school, hurling insults and spit bombs at him, punching him if they were sat close enough, and on the occasions when Mikey wasn't with him, they would drag his sorry ass to the very back of the bus, often gagging him with someone's stinky gym sock, then beat the crap out of him.  
On more than one occasion they'd stopped him from getting off the bus on the way home and he'd ended up having to walk the two and a half miles back from the bus depot, usually in the pouring rain.  
In conclusion, riding the bus sucked...but as their dad refused to drive them the three miles to school, saying that riding the bus was "Character Building", or some shit, they didn't really have a choice.

Reaching the bus stop, Gerard checked the time. The bus should be there any minute and then, Hell would begin.  
Mikey leaned against Gerard's shoulder, yawning as they waited.

"Gee?..." 

The older brother hummed to indicate that he was listening.

"Are you ok?...I mean...after what happened Friday and all...I just...are you?...ok?"

Gerard turned to look at the younger boy. The kid was so thoughtful, so protective even if he couldn't physically protect Gerard, at least he tried to emotionally.

"I'm fine Mikes..." 

He lied.

"Don't worry about me."

Mikey smiled down at him, even though Gerard was a year older, he was also a whole inch shorter.

"Liar." 

He muttered after a moment, turning as the bus chugged around the corner. Gerard hung his head, he never could fool Mikey.  
As the big yellow school bus pulled up next to them, Gerard had an almost overwhelming desire to run away and had to practically force himself to climb on board instead.  
Looking around, making sure not to make eye contact, Gerard paled at the realisation that there were only three single seats available and none of them were together...meaning that he couldn't sit with Mikey and that he'd have to sit next to one of the many assholes that attended their school.  
Mikey made his way quickly to sit next to a girl that Gerard thought was called Alice or Alicia or something like that, and immediately struck up a conversation with her. How did he do that?

"Well?...sit down boy." 

The driver huffed. Gerard realised that he had been standing there staring for a good minute or so, and now everyone was laughing at him. Head down and sighing resignedly, he headed toward the nearer of the two seats, narrowly avoiding being tripped no fewer than six times over the short distance, and sat down next to a boy with a huge fluffy brown fro. He was trying not to hear the comments that were being tossed at him...

"Emo!"

"Fag!"

"Loser!"

...but they were loud and close and someone kept tugging hard on his longish black hair and there was a sharp sting on his neck, which as he raised his hand to it, he realised was a cigarette burn, and he just couldn't take much more of this...and he cried, and that of course just spurred the nasty bastards on. 

"Look...the little freak's crying." 

One boy jeered.

"Perhaps he'll go cut his wrists." 

Another joined in.

"Yeah...why don't you go kill yourself, you pathetic waste of air." 

And that just made everyone laugh louder. Sobbing desperately, Gerard didn't notice as hands delved into his bag and pulled out his note book, flicking through some of his most personal thoughts until a loud male voice started to read from the book... 

"I wish I were dead. He'll _never_ love me back. He hates me. Why can't I just cut a bit deeper..." 

The boy mocked Gerard's voice.

His heart suddenly in his mouth, Gerard leaped to his feet and grabbed for his precious book.

"Gimme it..." 

The book was thrown over his head. Gerard spun and grabbed again.

"Please." 

Then the book was being passed down the vehicle towards the front, out of reach and Gerard was being shoved to the ground and trampled on as the bus reached it's destination and the hoard of youths stampeded off toward the school.  
Gerard lay on the dirty floor, arms over his face and knees pulled up to his chest, trying to catch his breath as the last kids kicked, stepped over or even on him in their bid for freedom from the confining space, until only one remained...Mikey.

"Oh Gee..." 

He shook his head sadly, bending down to hoist his brother upright.

"Let's get you cleaned up, ok?"

Sobbing against Mikeys shoulder, Gerard allowed himself to be lead off the bus and into the building. Guess he'd be spending first period in the toilets now, sorting out the cuts and bruises he'd just acquired, oh and that fucking cigarette burn. He never bothered going to the school nurse anymore. She was a bitch and spoke to him with nearly as much disdain as the students did. Mikey was his nurse now.

"M-Mikey?"

"Yeah Gee?" 

Mikey murmured as he dabbed a wet tissue against a cut that ran from Gerard's eyebrow to his cheekbone. It wasn't deep, but it bled like a bitch. Gerard closed his eyes, tears rolling down his face.

"What are they gonna do with my b-book?"

Mikey frowned, stopping what he was doing to look at his brother. He sighed deeply.

"I don't know Gee...nothing good."

"Teenagers scare the living shit outta me." 

Gerard mumbled, dropping his head to stare at the grubby bathroom floor.

"Me too bro, me too."

After a moment, Mikey continued to clean and dress Gerard's wounds until he was all fixed up.

"There you go Gee...all done."

Gerard smiled weakly and hugged his brother.

"What would I do without you? Huh?"

Mikey chuckled.

"Well, I guess you'd have to learn how to bandage yourself up..." 

Gerard snorted quietly at that.

"But you're not gonna have to find out...I'm not going anywhere."

They sat in a comfortable silence for a while until the bell for the end of first rang. Gerard sighed.

"Let's get this over with."

Mikey stood up and helped his brother climb painfully to his feet, then grabbed both their bags and walked him to his class. Mostly they were ignored on the way there, just a few words and the occasional attempted trip that Mikey managed to steer them around. Gerard took his bag back when they arrived, thanked Mikey and said he'd see him later, then walked into second period art, his favourite class except that he had to share it with all these dickwads, and one in particular, a certain little black haired boy that, as he thought about it, he hadn't actually seen yet today.

Sitting in his normal spot in the back left corner, he observed the class...no Frank. And as the teacher began taking attendance he realised that maybe Frank wasn't in today...and he just wanted to cry again cause no matter how rotten Frank was to him, his smile still made Gerard happy to be alive...and without it...well what was his life really worth anyway?...Nothing if you asked him. Absolutely nothing.

* * *

Frank coughed painfully as he tried to sit up, groaning as his mother pushed him back down.

"And where do you think _you're_ going?..." 

She demanded, cocking an eyebrow at him.

"You have a temperature of 102 degrees. You're staying in bed."

Frank huffed miserably.

"But Maaa..." 

He moaned.

"No buts Frank. You're sick, and it's your fault..." 

She frowned at him.

"Whatever possessed you to sleep on the school doorstep anyway?" 

She'd been asking him the same question ever since the policemen brought him home in the early hours of Saturday morning, she hadn't even realised that he'd gone out. The officers had said they'd found him asleep and all he'd tell them was that he needed to get into the school...and now, he wouldn't tell her why.

"Doesn't matter Ma..." 

He hung his head. Nothing mattered now. If Gerard was still in that locker...well, he didn't want to think about that. Frank hoped that Mikey was back in school and could therefore rescue his brother, actually, he really hoped that the boy had been found before the weekend...but he wasn't too sure how realistic that was.

"Ma?"

"Yes Frankie?" 

She asked absentmindedly as she picked up his dirty clothes from the floor and stuffed them in his hamper.

"Can I borrow your phone? It's break time and I wanna call Ray."

Linda frowned, she'd get wrinkles at this rate.

"Ok, but don't disturb him when he's in class...ok?" 

Frank nodded, a sweet smile on his lips that said 'I can do no wrong'. Linda sighed deeply then handed over her cell.

"Don't talk for too long, or you're gonna be paying the bill." 

Smiling and ruffling his hair, earning her a scowl from the annoyed teen she turned and left his room to continue her housework. Frank typed Ray's number into the old phone, marvelling at the fact it was too old to get internet, and listened to it ring. After 5 rings, he thought Ray wasn't going to answer and was about to hang up when the other boy's voice sounded down the line.

_**phonecall**_

"Hello? Who's that?"

"Oh, hey Ray..." 

Frank turned his head and coughed violently for a moment before returning to the conversation.

"It's Frank."

"Frank?..." 

Ray looked at the screen on his phone and frowned.

"New number dude?"

"What?...oh, no. I kinda broke my phone, so I'm using my Ma's."

Ray laughed loudly.

"How'd you break it dude?"

It was Frank's turn to frown.

"I...I threw it at the wall..." 

He mumbled quietly, eliciting another fit of laughter from Ray. 

"Hey, I was angry ok?"

Ray chuckled but calmed himself down.

"So squirt..." 

Frank hated that nickname.

"What's up? Why aren't you in school?"

Frank coughed again, taking a sip of the drink his mother had brought him before he replied.

"I got flu man. You know my immune system's shit..." 

He sneezed, wiping his nose on his hoodie sleeve.

"But look...I just wanted to know if Mikey Way was in today?" 

He tried to hold his breath, but that just made him cough again.

"What's your obsession with Mikey Way all of a sudden?..." 

Ray chuckled. 

"You fancy him or something?"

"Fucker!..." 

Frank grunted. Ray laughed.

"No dude. I just need to know."

"Huh, whatever. Uh, yeah...yeah, he was in. Think I sat next to his brother on the bus this morning actually."

That peaked Frank's interest, though he tried not to sound too excited.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah..." 

Frank could almost hear Ray frown.

"I don't think he enjoyed the ride though. Load of juniors and seniors gave him major grief the whole time. I'm guessing he ended up pretty beat..." 

Ray sighed, pausing a second or two.

"Dude, I know you hate that kid, and after what he did I really don't blame you...but I kinda felt sorry for him..." 

Ray trailed off, his voice growing quiet. Tears slipped from Frank's eyes as Ray spoke again.

"I...I saw his left wrist, when he tried to grab a book someone took..." 

Frank felt his blood freeze. Please don't let him say what he thought he was gonna say.

"There were scars dude...like lots, and recent too..." 

The sound of the school bell rang through the phone.

"Look dude I gotta go. Feel better, ok?" 

Then he was gone. Frank stared at the disconnected phone with wet eyes. Was that his fault? Had Gerard cut because of him? Oh God...he had to fix this. He Had to save Gerard...from the bullies, and from himself. He just needed to shake this damn flu first, then he'd tell the truth, to Gerard and to everyone else.  
HE would probably end up hated by the whole school after this, but he thought it was no more than he deserved anyway...not after the years of torture he'd put poor sweet, kind, gentle Gerard through.  
No, he couldn't let this continue, and even if Gerard never forgave him, at least he would've tried.

* * *

Gerard's day was even shittier than expected. His book had fallen into the hands of someone who had a strange affinity with the school photocopy machine, and had wallpapered pretty much the entire first floor with excerpts from his private thoughts. Everyone had seen them.  
Every student had apparently been made aware of the book and who it belonged to, and because they already hated him, this just proved to be fuel for the flames. They all took every opportunity to trip, push, kick and hit Gerard, so by the time lunch arrived, he kinda missed the inside of his own locker, and wished someone (Frank) would come along and shove him in there, just so he could have some peace.

But Frank wasn't there. Frank was off sick and Gerard was currently being dragged into the boys' changing rooms by three seniors who were being a damn sight rougher than Frank had ever been. When they reached the room, throwing the already bruised boy to the ground and locking the door, Gerard tried to scramble away from them on his hands and knees.

"Where the fuck do ya think you're goin'...freak?" 

One goon spat at him, lunging forward and grabbing the frightened boy's ankles and hauling him back toward the group. Gerard's arms gave way beneath him as he was dragged backward, his shirt riding up and his belly and chin scraping across the dirty concrete floor, grit burrowing into his pale fragile skin. 

"No...p-please. Stop...p-p-please." 

He whimpered. His cries fell on deaf ears as one of older boys grasped the waistband of Gerard's skinnies and started to pull them off his hips and down his slim legs. Absolute terror raced through his body as he realised what was happening. Gerard thrashed and screamed, desperate to escape their painful grips but they just started hitting him til his struggles became weak and unfocused.  
With his mind becoming blurred, everything took on a slightly surreal and detached feel. His jeans were gone, his legs pushed far apart, someone was behind him now. He heard a zip, hands gripping his narrow hips, lifting him, then...pain...horrifying, atrocious pain and someone was screaming, loud and high, and...oh my God...it was him!

The pain was so bad that he was certain he was being ripped in two and just as he thought it was over, the monster backing out and collapsing against the wall with a grunt...the second one took his place...and after that...the third...  
Then they started all over again.

By this point Gerard's voice was gone and he didn't have an ounce of strength left with which to struggle, and about half way through bastard number two's second attack, Gerard's consciousness finally left him. As he slipped into the darkness, one thought crossed his mind...Frankie...help me...and then...nothing.

When Mark, Terry and Jeff had all finished their fun, they zipped back up, unlocked the door and left the room. Not one of them looked back.  
There were no gym classes that afternoon. No one was coming to save him this time.

* * *

When the end of the school day arrived, Mikey Way was still searching for his missing brother.  
Knowing that Frank wasn't in today, he thought it unlikely that Gerard would be in his locker as that seemed to be a Frank Iero trademark move, and no one else would do it...but he checked anyway.  
He checked the library, the space beneath the bleachers, the art rooms and the music rooms. He checked every place he thought Gerard might hide, and every place he thought he may have been put.

Exhausted, scared and annoyed, having missed his last three classes and used up nearly $7 of phone time texting and calling Gerard, (every call going to voicemail) he headed toward the last place he could think of, the one place Gerard would never go willingly...the boys, locker room.

Pushing open the door Mikey stepped inside and saw...nothing! There was no sign of Gerard, just like everywhere else he'd looked. Mikey plopped down on one of the benches and put his head in his hands, where the fuck was Gerard?

* * *

At about that time, maybe a few minutes later, in a small curtained cubicle in the E.R of the local hospital, Gerard Way was slowly coming around.

"Well hi there..." 

A light and friendly female voice said to his left, as he groaned quietly and tried to sit up.

"Woah kiddo, slow down..." 

He felt two hands restraining him, gently pushing down on his chest.

"You need to rest."

Succumbing to her gentle tone and soft touch, Gerard let himself be guided back down. Even with his eyes tight shut he could tell where he was. He could smell disinfectant and puke, lovely combination! (Sarcasm...cause killing people is illegal!) and he could hear the soft *beep beep beep* of a heart monitor nearby...though luckily it sounded like it was too far away to be connected to him...which meant his condition wasn't that bad.  
But thinking about it, what exactly was his condition?...cause try as he may, Gerard couldn't remember what had happened to put him in here...this time.  
The other half-dozen times he'd landed in the E.R had been from Frank related injuries, but he had a weird feeling like that wasn't the case today. 

The nurse, he presumed that's who she was otherwise they had a bad security problem around here, had left his side now, apparently leaving him alone. Carefully opening his eyes to the stark white room and blindingly bright fluorescent lights, Gerard blinked a few times to adjust, then realised he wasn't actually alone...someone was sitting next to his bed.

"Hi..." 

A slightly squeaky voice spoke to him. Gerard turned his head towards his visitor and was more than a little shocked when he saw who it was.

"Err...hi."

Sat at his bedside, munching on skittles, was the boy with the big curly hair. What was he doing here? The boy grinned.

"I'm Ray. How you feeling?"

Gerard groaned slightly, squeezing his eyes shut and rubbing his hand over his face, wincing as his fingers met the grazed skin.

"Just peachy, thanks..." 

He said quietly, but with a wry smile touching his split lips. 

"What even happened?" 

He asked, opening his eyes again to look at his visitor. Ray studied his hands, a small frown spreading over his face .

"I don't know for certain..." 

He muttered, keeping his eyes down.

"I found you on the locker room floor..." 

He finally met Gerard's gaze.

"You were pretty messed up dude."

Gerard screwed his face up as he tried unsuccessfully to remember what had happened. He recalled what happened on the bus, his book being taken, the photocopies being plastered all over the place for everyone to see. And he remembered being tripped and kicked and hit, a lot more than usual...it was almost like, when Frank was there everyone else backed off...but why would that be? 

"Err, Ray?..." 

Gerard began timidly. The older boy raised his eyebrows, signalling for him to continue.

"You're Frank's friend, right?..." 

Ray frowned, then nodded. 

"It's just...he hates me, so why are you helping me?..." 

Ray looked back at his hands and blushed slightly. Wait, what? 

"Also..." 

Gerard had to ask.

"Why does everyone seem to push me around less when he's there?" 

The words came out in a bit of a rush, but he thought they made sense, right? Ray sighed deeply, his head still bowed and pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingertips, before returning Gerard's gaze.

"I don't exactly agree with the way Frank treats you. I mean he has his reasons I guess, but I would've forgiven you by now..." 

Ray scratched his chin, a thoughtful look coming over his face.

"And the others...well thing is..." 

He hesitated, like he wasn't sure if he should go on or not, then appeared to decide that it was for the best.

"Frank kinda made it known a long time ago that you were his to mess with, no one else's. I guess they figured that as he wasn't in today, they got a free pass or something."

Gerard took in this new information, spinning it around in his head. So Frank kept the other worse bullies at bay?...Why? If he hated Gerard as much as he seemed to, why not just let everyone have a pop at him? Gerard's head hurt. This was too confusing.

"Ray?"

"Yeah?"

Gerard smiled slightly.

"Thanks for helping me..." 

Ray grinned back, shrugging one shoulder at him.

"And for staying...you didn't have to."

Ray blushed again...and again, what?...but didn't turn away.

"I wanted to..." 

He murmured, his eyes meeting the younger boy's.

"What happened to you, it...it shouldn't have, cause you're nice and sweet and..." 

Ray swallowed and looked back at his hands nervously.

"...and cute." 

The last two words were little more than a whisper, but Gerard heard them and now it was his turn to blush.

"You...you think I'm...cute?" 

He breathed, face burning cherry red. Ray looked up through his curls, a sly smile spreading over his face.

"Yeah, I do..." 

He reached over and carefully took Gerard's hand in his.

You're very cute."

Gerard giggled, he couldn't help it and instantly felt mortified, eyes wide and hand slapping over his mouth. But Rat thought it was the most adorable thing he'd ever heard, and grinned wide at Gerard's shyness.

"Err, Gerard?..." 

He asked, his nerves starting to kick in now. Gerard just stared back at him, cheeks still flushed pink

"I know we never actually talked before this..." 

Gerard nodded in agreement.

"But I was wondering..." 

He swallowed hard.

"Would you go out with me?...like on a...date?"

Gerard felt a few butterflies fluttering around in his belly as his cheeks started to heat up again. Ray was sweet and kind...and sure, he wasn't quite as cute as Frank, but that was never gonna happen, so perhaps it was time to let go of his stupid, childish crush. Perhaps it was time to move on now. Gerard took a deep breath in and looked into Ray's dark brown eyes. Yes, time to let go. Releasing the breath and with it, years of longing and pining for Frank fucking Iero...Gerard smiled.

"I'd like that..." 

He all but whispered.

"I'd like it a lot."

Ray beamed a 100 watt smile at him, before leaning forward and gently pressing his lips to Gerard's. The kiss was soft and sweet...just lips, no tongue. When they pulled apart, keeping their fingers entwined, Gerard smiled shyly.

"That...that was my f-first kiss." 

He whispered. Ray's jaw dropped.

"Really?...cause you're very good at it." 

He smirked, laughing softly at the way Gerard's cheeks turned pink. Gerard rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help but giggle along.  
Just then, the nurse returned.

"How are we doing in here then?..." 

She asked cheerily, getting smiles and giggles in reply. She smiled back.

"Well, I need to get some details from you..." 

She looked at Gerard.

"Like your date of birth, and your parents' contact number?"

Gerard scowled.

"I don't want them here."

He muttered, staring down at his and Ray's interlaced fingers. Ray squeezed his hand lightly.

"Babe?..." 

Gerard glanced at him.

"You ok?"

Gerard felt tears gathering in his eyes. He really, really didn't want to talk about it.

The nurse, who'd introduced herself as Jasmin, spent the next ten minutes trying to get Gerard to give her his parents' contact details. He refused. Eventually she gave up and left with an exasperated sigh, looking briefly at Ray as if to say "You try."  
The two boys were left alone, sat in a slightly awkward silence, Gerard scowling at the ceiling, while Ray tried to figure out what to say.

"Err...Gerard?..." 

He began after a few minutes. The younger boy turned watery eyes toward him. Ray swallowed and stared down at their joined hands.

"Why don't you want your mum called?..." 

Gerard returned his gaze to the ceiling without a word. Ray frowned.

"What about Mikey?...I could call _him_ for you, if you'd like?"

Gerard considered this for a moment. Mikey was probably worried about him and if told not to, he wouldn't tell their parents where Gerard was. Relaxing slightly, Gerard turned to face a hopeful looking Ray.

"Ok..." 

He murmured.

"Call Mikey, but tell him not to tell mum and dad where I am. I don't want them here."

Ray smiled and leaned forward, gently kissing the younger boy's soft lips.

"I'll be right back babe." 

He waved his cellphone at Gerard to say he was going to make the call, then quietly left the room. Gerard lay there waiting for his new...boyfriend?...to return.  
He'd never had a boyfriend before...Hell, he hadn't even had any normal friends except for Mikey since he was 7, but...boyfriend?...that was something he never thought could happen.  
The closest he'd ever came to one was that jerk Robert, who'd approached him after gym two years ago and grabbed him inside his boxers...but he guessed that constituted more an assault, than a relationship.

Gerard hadn't thought about Robert or what he'd done for a long time. It had been pushed to the deepest, darkest corner of his mind, shoved in a box, and buried six foot under...so why had he thought of it now?  
Shuddering in revulsion, Gerard tried to lock the memory back up...problem was that it kept resurfacing...digging its way up like a zombie climbing from its grave.

Gerard looked toward the door. What was taking Ray so long? It was only a phone call for fuck sake.

The memory of Robert, a senior at the time so what the fuck he was doing in the locker rooms with a bunch of Freshmen was anybody's guess, played like a sick movie through his head...

_Robert walked up to Gerard, towering over him by at least a foot and crowding him against the lockers. Frightened that he was going to get hit, cause that's what usually happened, Gerard closed his eyes and braced for the impact. But instead of striking the thin, cowering boy, Robert slapped one hand over Gerard's mouth, insuring his silence and pinning his back to the cold metal locker door while the other hand slid down inside the terrified boy's underwear to wrap around his soft dick. Tears of pain and humiliation streamed down the 12 year old's face as the older boy, practically a man, touched him and whispered dirty things in his ear, while his 14 year old classmates stood and laughed at him...not one of them trying to stop the assault._

Snapping back to the present, sweat and tears dripping from his face, Gerard attempted to slow his rapid, panicked breathing. Why?...why were these memories invading his mind now?...what had happened to bring them all back?...was it what had landed him in this hospital bed?...what the fuck had happened to him...and why couldn't he remember?

Digging his fingernails into the palms of his hands, his heart racing and his head starting to spin, Gerard felt his stomach clench harshly and then he was retching, and gagging, and throwing up the tiny amount of food in his belly, all over the side of the bed.  
And then, everything went black.

When Ray returned after calling Mikey, he was shocked to see a nurse, not Jasmin, leaning over Gerard's bed and attempting to wake the boy...and there was the vile smell of vomit, lingering in the air.

"W-what happened?" 

Ray stuttered out, concern raising his voice an octave. The nurse, a girl with mousy brown hair and a slightly lazy right eye, turned to look at the tall boy with the impressive fro.

"Puked and fainted." 

She said bluntly, turning back to her patient and checking his vitals for a second time, before just walking away. Ray gawped after the standoffish nurse for a moment, then realising that she wasn't coming back, went to sit beside the unconscious boy.

"Gerard?...babe? Come on, wake up." 

He leaned forward over the bed and held Gerard's hand in his. When this didn't gain the desired response, Ray huffed and sat back in his seat.  
A few minutes later, a girl that didn't look older than 15 and who was wearing a pink and white candy striper's uniform, came wandering over to the bedside and proceeded to clean up the small amount of sick that the nurse hadn't even bothered with. Despite her face showing disgust at the job, it also looked like she was used to it,and removed the offending mess without a word, then left.  
A bit bored, Ray pulled out his iPhone and opened the Fruit Ninja app. He'd become a little obsessed with this game lately and was quickly so engrossed in fruit chopping fun that he didn't realise that Gerard was waking up.

"Urgh...w-what happened?" 

He groaned, mouth tasting like something died in there. Ray looked up from his game and grinned.

"Hey babe. Nurse said you, and I quote...'Puked and fainted'..." 

He chuckled at the look on the younger boy's face.

"How you feelin'?"

"Like I been chewing on a dead rat. You couldn't get me a coffee, could you?..." 

Gerard looked up at the older boy with pleading eyes.

"Pleeease?"

Ray rolled his eyes then grinned.

"Sure, no probs. I called Mikey by the way."

"And?" 

Gerard prompted.

"He's on his way. He'd spent half the day looking for you." 

Ray frowned, standing up to go fetch the drink. Should he have called sooner?

"Actually I'm here..." 

Mikey's voice came from the doorway. Gerard and Ray's heads snapped around.

"My God. What the Hell happened to you Gee?...I was so worried when I couldn't find you." 

He crossed the room quickly and pulled his brother into a bone-crushing hug.

"Fthdfhvjjjg..." 

Gerard mumbled, his face buried in his sibling's chest. Mikey held him out to arms length and cocked an eyebrow in question. Gerard sighed and looked at the floor.

"I don't know what happened...I don't remember..." 

Mikey frowned at him like he wasn't convinced.

"Honest Mikey...it's like...a black hole. Nothing."

Actually, that wasn't entirely true. He hadn't remembered before...but now, it was starting to come back to him. The humiliation, the fear...the pain. Oh God the pain! But Gerard wouldn't let on. He was supposed to be the big brother, not the weak one who needed taking care of. And he could imagine how upset Mikey would be if he knew the whole truth. No, he wouldn't tell. No one needed to know this and he could cope on his own...right?

Mikey sat on the edge of Gerard's bed, one arm wrapped protectively around his brother's thin shoulders while they waited for Ray to return.

"Sooo..." 

Mikey began. Gerard turned wide eyes his way.

"Ray, huh?" 

Mikey smirked. Gerard blushed pink and looked anywhere but at his nosey little brother.

"Well, I thought it was time to move on..." 

He murmured quietly, then looked up at Mikey.

"You keep telling me to forget about Frank."

Mikey smiled and shook his head sadly.

"Like you're ever gonna do that..." 

He squeezed Gerard to him.

"Ray's a good guy though. You could do a lot worse."

Gerard knew that was true, but he'd spent so long pining over his little black-haired boy that he wasn't sure he was really ready to let go just yet. Just as Gerard started to imagine life without his Frank obsession, Ray returned with three Starbucks take-out cups.

"Coffee in this place sucks..." 

He explained, handing the brothers a cup each.

"...so I went across the road.. What did I miss?"

* * *


	2. Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Frank's decided to apologise and admit his feelings...but things don't always go as planned.
> 
> * * *

_~time passes~_

It was Frank's first day back to school. He was still a bit snuffly and his mum had insisted he take an entire man-size box of tissues with him in his ratty black back-pack...but at least he wasn't throwing his guts up anymore...bright side. He'd spent almost the whole week in his bed, wrapped up in blankets, eating soup and watching Dr. Who on Netflix...that David Tennant was cute. But now it was Friday and he was surprisingly excited to go back.  
Today was the day he'd tell Gerard how he felt...he just hoped he hadn't left it too long.

Pulling his hoodie tighter around himself, trying to fend off the chilly October wind, Frank stepped through the gates and looked quickly around at all the teens. He was looking for one in particular and knowing that Gerard was likely being picked on right now, he knew he'd have to act fast. Frank had no idea how bad things had gone in his absence, but he was sure that everyone would've made the younger boy's life,a living Hell.  
Catching a glimpse of raven-black hair, surrounded by a group of meathead jocks at the far side of the playground, Frank's heart skipped a beat and he set off at a run.

"GET OFF HIM!" 

What?...that sounded like Ray. Frank skidded to a stop, his jaw dropping almost comically as he saw his fro-haired pal shoving jocks aside and pulling Gerard into his arms. No no no!...that was supposed to be him!...he was meant to be the one rubbing Gerard's back and...shit...kissing him. 

Suddenly Frank couldn't breath and it had absolutely nothing to do with his bunged-up nose. How had this happened?...why hadn't he seen this coming? Eyes threatening to tear up, Frank turned and sprinted across the playground, then around the corner of the building before collapsing to his knees and puking his guts up in private. He'd lost him! He'd been an asshole to that beautiful boy for so long that he'd driven him into the arms of another.  
Sobbing quietly in despair, Frank peered around the edge of the wall and watched as Ray slipped his arm around Gerard's waist, kissed his cheek and lead him inside. Gerard was smiling, and all of a sudden Frank just wanted to die

When Frank stumbled into first period, ten minutes late cause he was chucking up and hyperventilating in the boys' toilets, he promptly tripped over his own shoelace and face planted at his math teacher's feet. This earned him a dramatic eye roll from Mr. Doogan, and sniggers and howls of laughter from his classmates, all of which were now looking right at him. Frank felt tears threatening as his face flared red with embarrassment. Staring at the ground, not wanting eye contact with anyone, he dragged himself to his feet and slouched over to his regular seat at the back, dead centre.  
Slumping on his chair, Frank thumped his head down on his desk and covered it with his arms. No way was he doing any work today.

After a few minutes of hiding in his own arms, it dawned on Frank that something was missing. Lifting his head and looking to his left, he realised that Ray wasn't in his usual spot next to him. When he gazed around the room, it only took him a second or two to figure out why. Ray, was sitting with Gerard  
The fro-haired traitor had his arm around the younger boy's shoulders and a shit-eating grin on his face, as he held the boy against him.  
Gerard was smiling shyly, but Frank couldn't help but notice that he looked a little uncomfortable, maybe even a bit scared? But why would he be scared of Ray?...that guy was 10 different kinds of soft, he probably even avoided stepping on ants and things, so why would anyone be afraid of him?

Frank watched, getting silently more upset by the minute as Ray placed his free hand on Gerard's skinny-jean clad thigh, and started to move it slowly up his leg. As Gerard's pretty eyes widened and his smile gave way to a look of horror, Frank heard a tiny fearful squeak escape his lips, then he was out of his seat and running from the room as if the hounds of Hell themselves were after him.

"MR. WAY!..." 

Doogan shouted after the fleeing figure, though he got no response. Ray stood as if to give chase, but returned to his seat when he received a death-stare from the pissed off teacher. After a moment, the lesson resumed.

"As I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted..." 

He glanced icily at Ray. Frank felt a jolt of happiness when he saw his friend sink lower into his chair under those angry eyes.

"The Inverse functions are called the arcsine, arccosine, and arctangent, respectively. There are arithmetic relations between..."

At this point Frank zoned out. What the Hell use was trigonometry anyway?  
Resting his head back on the desk and staring out the window, watching as the first few drops of rain hit the glass, Frank could think of nothing but his want...no, _need_ , to go and find Gerard..to make sure he was ok.

The class seemed to drag on forever, but eventually the bell rang and everyone breathed a sigh of relief as they packed away their things and headed out of the room. Frank knew that he had next lesson, fucking history, with both Gerard and Ray...and was surprised to see Ray headed straight there, not even bothering to look for the sweet boy he'd apparently terrified the shit out of before.

Frowning, cause he thought Ray was better than that, Frank headed toward the boys' toilets...always the first place to look for anyone who's legged it out of class. Pushing the door open and stepping inside quietly, Frank knew he wasn't alone. Right at the back in the very last stall, he could hear soft, muffled crying. Swallowing deeply, he walked over to the stall door, and gently knocked.

"You ok in there?" 

He asked quietly, as all noise from within ceased when he knocked. After a moment there was a small sniff, then a tiny voice whispered from inside the stall.

"I'm ok. Leave me alone." 

That was definitely Gerard. Frank closed his eyes and tried to relax. He knew this wouldn't be easy, but with a door in between them he might be able to say what he needed to.

"Gerard...it's Frank..." 

No reply, not that he was really expecting one.

"I...I know I've been a bastard to you, and I have no right to ask your forgiveness...but there's something I need you to know..." 

Frank wasn't even sure if Gerard was listening to him, but he carried on regardless.

"I love you..." 

Oh God, Frank thought, I've done it, no going back now.

"I have done for a long time, but I couldn't admit how I felt, not even to myself. I know you hate me for all I put you through, but it ends now...I'm gonna tell everyone the truth...I'm gonna tell them that I lied about you trying to touch me back then..." 

Frank felt like he was going to puke again.

"I'm so, so sorry Gerard. You never did anything wrong and I was just a stupid, ignorant asshole..." 

Tears slid down his cheeks as silence fell over the bathroom...just the *drip drip drip* of a leaky tap filled the air. Frank bit his lip and stared at his old red converse.

"I'm sorry..." 

He whispered, placing the palm of his hand against the stall door.

"I'll leave now. You don't have to worry...I won't bother you again." 

Sighing heavily and wiping at his wet eyes with the sleeve of his hoodie, Frank turned to go. As his hand reached for the door that lead back out to the now deserted hallway, there was a quiet click behind him...then a small voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Frankie?"

Breathing in a deep shuddery breath, Frank turned slowly around.

"Hi Gee." 

He whispered softly, not daring to move or even smile...he didn't deserve to smile. Gerard fiddled with his sleeves, pulling them down over his hands, then took a step forward, eyes looking anywhere except for at the black haired boy in front of him.

"Did..." 

He hesitated, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment. Frank held his breath.

"Did you mean that?"

His voice was so quiet that Frank almost didn't hear him...almost.

"Every word, Gee." 

Frank murmured, a tiny spark of hope lighting in his heart. Gerard's face was pale as ever, but his eyes were red from crying and Frank just wanted to take him in his arms and make everything ok...but it was too soon.  
Gerard took another cautious step.

"You...you love...me?" 

He whimpered slightly, like he thought this could be a trick or a joke. Frank nodded, but seeing as Gerard still couldn't bring himself to look at him, he then answered verbally.

"Yeah...I do..." 

He watched Gerard's every nervous move.

"More than I know how to say."

Gerard's eyes finally raised to meet Frank's. He swallowed back his fear and took one more step. 

"I always loved you Frankie..." 

He whispered.

"No matter what you did, I always loved you...I couldn't make myself stop..." 

He chuckled darkly.

"Mikey thought I was mad..." 

He looked at his feet.

"I probably am."

"Gee?..." 

The younger boy looked up.

"Does this mean you...forgive me?"

The look of hope in Frank's big hazel eyes was almost too much for Gerard to take...but he held his gaze.

"I...I..."

Suddenly the door behind Frank opened.

"What the fuck's going on in here?"

Gerard shrunk back a step as Ray moved inside.

"We're just talkin'." 

Frank muttered to the tall, curly haired teen. Ray stepped around Frank and over to Gerard's side.

"He didn't hurt you, did he?" 

Ray whispered in the younger boy's ear. Gerard shook his head.

"No. L-like he said...we were just talking." 

His body stiffened as Ray's hand wrapped around his waist, pulling him close. Ray didn't seem to notice.

"Sooo..." 

Frank said slowly.

"I was just telling Gee that I'm not gonna do anything to him any more." 

He kept his eyes fixed on Gerard's nervous face. Gerard stared at the ground.

"Really?!..." 

Ray scoffed.

"What, you torture him for years and now all of a sudden you're gonna leave him alone?!..." 

Frank nodded.

"I'll believe it when I see it, pal."

"Believe it..." 

Frank muttered.

"Why are you so interested in what I do anyway?"

Ray grinned and squeezed Gerard a little tighter to him.

"Cause I'm his boyfriend, that's why."

Frank saw the look on Gerard's face turn from nervous, to darn-right terrified for an instant, then back again. Again, Ray didn't notice.

"Really?..." 

Frank asked, trying to sound bored.

"Since when?"

Gerard appeared to be breathing a bit too heavily. Ray was oblivious.

"Beginning o' the week, when you were off sick. He got beat by some kids in the locker room..." 

Ray left out the fact that they'd clearly raped the 14 year old. He didn't know that Gerard remembered, and he didn't want to tell him.

"It was pretty bad and I found him...I took him to hospital..." 

Ray kissed the top of Gerard's head. Gerard flinched slightly. 

"I asked him out when he woke up." 

He finished proudly.

"Well congrats..." 

Frank said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. A frown played across his face.

"Err Gee?...you ok?"

Ray finally turned to actually look at the boy by his side. Gerard was hyperventilating. How had Ray not noticed this? Ray froze...he was clueless as to what he should do. Frank on the other hand...

"Ok Gee..." 

He began, stepping toward the panicking boy and gently taking his hand.

"You're ok. Just breathe with me...in...and out...in...and out..." 

He carefully removed Gerard from Ray's side and lowered him to sit on the floor, kneeling in front of him and softly stroking the backs of Gee's knuckles with his fingertips.

"Come on sweetie, you're doing great...just breathe ok?..." 

Gerard locked eyes with Frank and tried to slow his breaths down.

"In...and out...that's it..." 

Gerard shivered slightly as he felt his heart rate returning to normal, and started to regain control of his breathing.

"That's it...well done...relax..." 

Frank turned his attention to Ray, but not his eyes.

"Ray?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"Can you go get Gee a soda please?...Coke?..." 

Ray frowned at being sent for the drink, instead of being able to stay with his boyfriend, but didn't argue and quickly left the room. Frank shot Gerard a bright smile.

"Better?..." 

He asked. Gerard smiled weakly as he took a final shaky breath and relaxed, nodding minutely.

"Here..." 

Frank pulled the younger boy gently into his lap. Gerard went willingly.

"Now, you wanna tell me what happened?..." 

Gerard shook his head violently, his breath hitching in his throat as he buried his face into Frank's neck. Frank held him close.

"Ok...it's ok. You don't have to..." 

Frank hushed the boy in his arms as he heard soft sobs close to his ear.

"Just relax baby."

Gerard's sobbing halted abruptly and his body stilled. Slowly, his head lifted up so their eyes met once more.

"Did you..." 

He swallowed back his nerves.

"Did you call me...baby?"

Frank's eyes widened.

"Umm..."

Frank blushed scarlet, but held eye contact.

"Yeah, I did..." 

He smiled softly.

"Is that ok?"

Gerard sniffed quietly, considering the question for a moment.

"It's ok..." 

He whispered, shyly.

"I al-always w-wanted to be y-your...baby." 

But a second later, fear flickered through his eyes as he worried again that this was just some trick...some elaborate ruse that Frank and Ray were in on together, that would end with him even more broken and humiliated than ever. Tears flooded his eyes as pessimistic thoughts drowned his fragile mind.  
Frank saw the fear, but was unaware of the true reason for it.

"Baby? Aww, baby...please don't cry?..." 

He hushed, pulling the younger boy tight into his chest and stroking his soft black hair.

"Shhh...come on Angel...tell me what's wrong...please?"

Gerard clung to Frank's shirt, unwilling to let go yet. Even if this was a trick, he could still enjoy these few blissful moments in the black-haired boy's arms, breathing in his warm scent of coffee and chocolate. He knew he shouldn't trust Frank...all the times he'd hurt him, insulted, degraded and beaten him...it was so likely that this was just a scam. But he couldn't help it. He wanted this to be real, and those two sides of his mind were tearing him apart to the point that he couldn't think straight any more.

Gerard was starting to hyperventilate again, and not even Frank's gentle words or stroking hands could calm him now.  
The bathroom door swung open and Ray stepped inside.

"What the Hell?...what did you do to him?" 

He barked, putting a small grocery bag in one of the sinks and advancing on the pair who were still sat on the floor. Frank looked up, shocked.

"I didn't do anything. We were talking. He started to panic again. I don't know what's wrong." 

Frank looked miserable. Ray crouched down next to them and tried to pull Gerard to him.

"Come here babe, I got you..." 

But the younger boy just held on tighter, burying himself in Frank's neck and whimpering pitifully. Frank even let go for a moment to show Ray that it wasn't him keeping Gerard where he was.

"What the fuck!? Gerard...let go now." 

Ray said, sternly.

"I don't think he wants to." 

Frank murmured, winding his arms back around the quivering boy and hugging him close. Ray stared at his friend and boyfriend, his eyes growing dark.

"Well he _doesn't_ have a choice!" 

Ray spat, grabbing the younger boy's arm and dragging him roughly toward him. Gerard yelped in fear as he lost his grip.

"FUCK Dude!..." 

Frank yelled as Ray ripped the frightened boy away.

"You're hurting him!" 

Frank had never seen Ray like this before.

"FUCK YOU!" 

Ray shouted, suddenly kicking Frank in the chest and sending him sprawling across the grimy floor, and crashing headfirst into the wall. Then he hauled the terrified youngster out the door, kicking and screaming until a heavy fist collided with Gerard's stomach and he doubled over in pain, allowing himself to be picked up and carried away, sobbing weakly.  
As Ray left the main school building, heading toward the disused science block at the back of the sports field, Frank lay groaning on the bathroom floor, trying to figure out just when Ray had turned into a complete psycho, and how the Hell he was going to get his Gerard back.

* * *

Mikey Way wasn't usually one for skipping class, but ever since the new boy, a kid from Illinois called Pete, had arrived at the school and quietly romanced him, he hadn't really had a problem with missing the odd Spanish or History class. And right now, his double Chemistry lesson was the furthest thing from his mind.  
Hidden beneath the bleachers at the back edge of the football field, Mikey and Pete were getting up to far more than a pair of 13 and 14 year olds really should be, especially while they were still on school grounds. Mikey's pants were down around his thighs, while Pete's right hand was furiously jerking him off. 

"That's it Mikey...let me hear ya, baby." 

Pete encouraged as the younger boy panted and gasped towards his climax.

Just a few moments later, after Mikey had practically exploded all over Pete's hand and his own stomach, he was wrenched from his blissful comedown by the sounds of screaming and crying, and it was coming their way. Hurriedly doing up his flies, Mikey scrambled across the cold ground to join Pete as he peered out in between the seats of the bleachers. What he saw,made his blood boil with rage.

"What the..."

Before Pete could grab him to pull the angry teen back, Mikey had shot out from their hiding place and was charging toward the considerably bigger and older boy, as he carried a struggling and clearly frightened younger boy over his shoulder. Pete didn't know either of these boys but was aware that Mikey had a brother named Gerard...but seeing his new boyfriend suddenly attack the Junior with the big hair, knocking him to the ground and then start laying into him with as much force as his puny weight would allow, was quite a shocking sight for the confused teen.

Mikey was yelling at the older boy as his fists pounded into his face...the boy with the fro apparently too stunned to defend himself...though once he'd regained his wits, Pete was sure that the bigger teen could easily overcome his attacker, probably using weight advantage alone.  
Looking to his right, Pete could see the frightened boy who had been dropped as Mikey barrelled into them, laying curled up in a ball on the ground, watching the currently one sided fight with terrified eyes. He presumed the boy was Gerard, and from Mikey's description, that the boy with the fro was Gerard's boyfriend, Ray.

Pete knew this fight likely wouldn't end well and was about to step in to either help his boyfriend, or pull him off of the older boy when Mikey suddenly stopped punching, grabbed the boy's shirtfront and yanked him up towards him, then hissed a warning in his face.

"If you _ever_ go anywhere near me or Gerard again, I _will_ kill you...understand?"

The speechless fro-haired boy simply nodded his head vigorously, and slumped onto his back as Mikey threw him back down and climbed off of his chest before hurrying to the dropped boy's side.

"Gee?...oh God...what did he do to you?..." 

Pete watched from a distance, not wanting to scare Gerard more than he already was. Not getting an answer, Mikey started to check Gerard over for injuries. 

"Are you hurt Gee?..." 

Still no reply. Pete noticed another boy heading their way. He was slightly shorter than Pete, but he looked older. The boy looked somewhat worse for wear, with one hand wrapped around his ribs and the other holding what appeared to be a wad of tissues against the side of his head. As the boy approached, ignoring Pete's query regarding his condition and passing by the quietly groaning fro dude, sparing him only a cold look and a glob of phlegm to the face, Mikey looked up from his gentle ministrations and scowled at the newcomer.

"What the fuck do you want Iero?...this ain't the time!"

"I...I need to..." 

The boy coughed violently and fell to his knees at their side, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Gee?...are you ok?"

Mikey looked lost, like this was the last thing he expected to hear come out of Iero's mouth...Pete understood that, after what he'd heard about Frank Iero. Mikey looked down at Gerard, still curled up in a ball but now with his head on Mikey's knee. Gerard's eyes were open and he was looking at Frank.

"I'm...I'm ok Frankie..." 

He whispered out passed his split lip.

"You don't l-look so g-good though."

Frank grinned wide.

"I'm fine baby..." 

Mikey looked like he was going to choke on his tongue at the cute nickname.

"As long as you're ok."

"Err...what's going on?" 

Mikey questioned, looking between the two in awe.  
Pete noted Ray the fro dude slinking away, but decided his boyfriend didn't need to know about that just now, as he seemed to have more important things to deal with at the moment. Looking back at the trio sat on the hard ground, Pete was just in time to see Gerard sit up with a small whimper, Frank shuffle forward toward him and then...Frank collapse face first on the floor.

"Frankie?..." 

Gerard yelped, scrambling quickly to his side and rolling him onto his back.

"Frankie wake up."

Mikey still looked lost, but he realised Frank needed help, so he shook off his confusion and moved over to assist the other boy. Pete thought that Mikey had probably forgotten about him, what with everything that had happened and all, but he was mistaken.

"Pete?...babe, could you call your brother?..." 

Mikey asked without even looking up.

"Ask him for a ride to the hospital?"

Pete grinned...Mikey called him "Babe"!

"Course baby."

Grabbing his cell from his jacket pocket, Pete dialled his older step-brother's number and walked a few feet away as he listened to it ring.

"Ok, now explain." 

Mikey demanded of his panicking sibling. He wanted answers and he wanted them now. Gerard glanced up at him sheepishly. He knew Mikey would ask, and he really did deserve an explanation...but right now was not the time.

"I'll tell you everything Mikes...when we know that Frankie is ok."

Mikey accepted this, for now, and resumed taking care of the injured boy, now resting in his brother's arms. That had better be one Hell of an explanation!

Pete crouched down at Mikey's side and placed a hand on his shoulder, gently gaining the younger boy's attention.

"Baby, Heath's on his way. He said to meet him at the gates."

Mikey smiled at his boyfriend.

"Ok babe, thanks..." 

He turned back to Gerard.

"Gee, we have to move him now." 

He said softly. Gerard was cradling the older boy in his arms, rocking him slightly and trying to get him to wake up. He had one hand pressed to Frank's head, holding the now red wad of tissues in place. Frank's breathing sounded strained and his face was contorted into a frown, even while he remained unconscious. Gerard was worried.

"Mikey?..." 

The younger boy hummed in acknowledgement.

"Why won't he wake up?" 

His voice sounded small and lost...and it broke Mikey's heart to hear. Mikey squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, then opened them to find Gerard looking back at him.

"I don't know, Gee..." 

He shook his head.

"But we're gonna take him to the hospital now, and they'll sort him out."

Pete moved to crouch in front of Gerard.

"I can carry him, if you hold his head."

Gerard looked at the other boy, tilting his head a little.

"Who are you?" 

He asked. He didn't want to sound rude, he just didn't have any idea who the boy was.

"I'm Pete." 

The boy stated.

"He's my boyfriend." 

Mikey said quietly, but with a grin stretching his lips wide. Gerard baulked at this news.

"Since when?" 

He hated not knowing stuff. Mikey giggled and Pete wanted to "Aww", but he wasn't sure it was the right time.

"Couple weeks..." 

Mikey said proudly.

"Now, let's go, ok?"

Gerard stared for a moment. He couldn't quite believe that Mikey had kept this from him for so long. Then, snapping out of his daze, he released Frank's limp body into Pete's strong arms, marvelling briefly at the other boy's muscles and lamenting the lack of his own, as Pete stood up straight and Mikey helped his brother back up to his feet.  
Gerard held the tissues firmly to the side of Frank's head with one hand and held the older boy's head up with the other, as Mikey kept a supporting hand around his waist and they all headed toward the front of the school.

As they approached the gates, Gerard saw a tall man with long curly dark hair, push off from his former position of leaning against the side of a crappy looking red Dodge Charger, flick away his cigarette and walk toward them.

"Here..." 

He said, sticking out his arms.

"I'll take him."

Pete passed the silent boy into his step-brother's bigger arms, before doubling over for a moment to catch his breath. Gerard kept his hands where they were. Mikey grinned up at the taller man.

"Hi Heath. Thanks for this..."

Heath grunted as he indicated the back door of his car and Mikey darted over to open it.

He's Frank..." 

He nodded at the unconscious boy as Heath slid him into the back seat.

"...and the guy holding his head is my brother, Gee."

Heath looked at Gerard, raising an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Gee?"

Gerard blushed as he climbed into the car, trying to keep pressure on Frank's head as he did so.

"Gerard." 

He murmured, pulling Frank into his lap and holding him to his chest. Mikey climbed in next to him as Pete got onto the passenger seat and Heath got behind the wheel. Once all the doors were shut, Heath started the car and they headed off toward the hospital.  
The drive only took about 5 minutes, then Heath was parking up, getting out and scooping Frank back up into his arms.

Gerard stayed close by, supporting Frank's head and panicking that he still hadn't come around. Almost as soon as they were through the automatic doors into the Emergency Room, two nurses and a student doctor were all over them, asking questions and then taking Frank away.  
Mikey and Pete had to hold Gerard back as he struggled against them to follow his little black-haired boy through the flappy double doors, with the words **Staff Only** stencilled in red upon them. He needed to stay with Frank, but no one seemed to understand that right now.

"Come on Gee..." 

Mikey pleaded, pulling on Gerard's arm and dragging him over toward the reception desk.

"Let them do their jobs. We have to give them some information."

Eventually Gerard allowed himself to be manhandled over to the desk, and sulking that he couldn't be with Frank, muttered out answers to the nurse on reception as she asked about what happened and the patient's parent's contact details.  
Once that was all done, he let Mikey steer him to the waiting area, where they all sat down and tried not to think the worst.  
Even Heath stayed, though he seemed to be more interested in his phone than in what was happening around him...but Pete was grateful none the less.

Several hours went by. School had ended and Mikey texted his and Gerard's mum to say they were going round a friends and they might be staying over night.  
From exhaustion, and his own undisclosed injuries, Gerard eventually fell asleep. He had his head on Mikey's shoulder until he started to slip, and Mikey lowered him down to rest on his lap, gently stroking his older brother's long black hair as he snored softly and dreamed of his little black-haired boy.

* * *

Gerard awoke with a start and promptly fell off the chairs he was laying on. He wasn't sure what had caused him to wake, cause the room was quiet and everyone in it was asleep themselves, including Mikey, who's lap he was apparently resting on.  
Sitting up and rubbing the back of his head where it had struck the pristine green floor tiles a moment before, Gerard yawned wide and pushed himself up to his feet, wincing slightly at the sting in his ribs.

The clock, quietly ticking high on the wall, said that it was 11:34, and judging by the fact that it was dark outside the waiting room window, that meant it was 11:34 at night.  
Did their parents even care that he wasn't home?...sure, they'd worry about Mikey, but he was certain they didn't give a shit about him.

Silently leaving the small, dimly lit room, Gerard walked sleepily over to the nurse's desk and leaned his body heavily against it. The nurse, a small blonde girl with blue dreads woven through her long hair eventually looked up from the paperwork she was studying and smiled brightly at Gerard.

"Hi there..." 

She greeted in a quite noticeable English accent.

"How can I help you?"

Gerard smiled back wearily and tried not to yawn.

"Hi..." 

He began.

"I brought in my friend earlier...like a lot earlier...and we haven't been told how he is. We fell asleep." 

He motioned to the waiting room.

"Oh, I'm sorry..." 

She genuinely did seem sorry.

"What's your friend's name?" 

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard of her computer.

"Frank Iero..." 

He murmured.

"I. E. R. O."

The nurse, who's name badge said **Charlotte- Staff Nurse** , typed Frank's name quickly, then waited for a moment before looking up.

"You should've been told...Frank is recovering nicely from his injuries. He's in a room just down the hall, but it's way after visiting hours..." 

She saw the distressed look on Gerard's young face and decided to bend the rules.

"But since you weren't told that you could see him earlier, I'll let you go see him for a bit now...if you promise not to wake him up. He needs his sleep..." 

Gerard's smile was bright enough to light up the whole hospital and Nurse Charlotte worried that he'd nod his head right off.

"Come on then..." 

She stood from her position behind the desk and led him toward Frank's dark room. Frank was asleep. He looked so small and lost in that bed, and Gerard just wanted to hold him close and make his pain go away.

"Ten minutes, ok?" 

The nurse said quietly. Gerard nodded as he slipped into the chair that stood beside Frank's bed. The nurse smiled and left.

"Oh Frankie..." 

Gerard broke down, taking Frank's hand in his and burying his face in the bedsheets.

"This is all my fault. If I hadn't said yes to Ray, even though I didn't _really_ want to go out with him, then none of this would've happened. You'd never have gotten hurt." 

Tears soaked the edge of the sheet as Gerard's body shook with rough sobs. He tried to stay quiet, but it really wasn't working out.

"Gee?..." 

Frank's sleepy voice startled Gerard into silence.

"Don't cry baby."

Gerard slowly lifted his head and his wide wet eyes locked with Frank's large hazel orbs. His breath stuttered in as he fought back his tears.

"F-Frankie..." 

He couldn't hold it in any more and he fell against the edge of the bed, hiding his face in his arms and sobbing desperately.

"Frankie...I'm...I'm s-sorry."

Frank squeezed Gerard's hand and softly stroked his long black hair.

"Shh, shh my love. You got nothing to say sorry for. You didn't do this. This was all Ray..." 

Gerard lifted his head and looked like he was gonna argue but Frank cut him off.

"No baby. I don't blame you, and you shouldn't blame you either..." 

He brushed a couple stray tears from Gerard's pale cheeks with the pad of his thumb.

"Now...are you gonna get in this bed and give me a cuddle, or what?"

A small smile broke through Gerard's tears and with a little hiccuping laugh, the younger boy climbed under the rough hospital sheets, as Frank held the edge up for him, and curled up against his little black-haired boy's side. Frank tucked the sheets around them both and wrapped his arms around the beautiful, sweet, gentle creature who had forgiven so much, and who could still...even after everything that Frank had done...find it in his heart to love him back.  
Frank knew that he didn't deserve Gerard's love, he didn't even deserve his forgiveness...but somehow, he'd gotten both...and he couldn't be happier.

With thoughts of all the ways he planned on making up for the last 7 years on his mind...and with the boy he loved more than life itself in his arms...Frank Iero drifted back off into a deep, peaceful sleep. And a few moments later, Gerard had joined him.

It was nearly half an hour since Nurse Charlotte had taken the sweet boy in to visit with his friend, and she'd been caught up with another patient so couldn't get back to tell him it was time to go. But when she quietly opened the door and peeped inside, she couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. The sight that met her eyes was just too cute to disturb.  
Backing out and slowly closing the door again, she decided that if anyone asked...she'd seen nothing.

Gerard sighed deeply against Frank's warm chest as sweet dreams erased the horrors that had stalked him through his nightmares, ever since that day in the locker room. He was safe now. He had Frank and Frank wouldn't let the terrors get him again...right?

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked the chapter. Remember, comments encourage updates.  
> X


	3. Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of back and forth to see what's happening to Frank and Gerard...try to keep up. Also, a new and not too pleasant character comes to visit.
> 
> A "fun" chapter with lots going on, but I'm not going to give too much away, you'll just have to read it.
> 
> * * *

Frank woke to bright sunshine streaking across the walls, the sound of plates clinking against one another, and the smell of ever so slightly burnt toast...but no Gerard. He figured that some jobsworth nurse had told him to leave, and that he'd be back when visiting hours started up again.  
The door to his room opened and a woman with shockingly white hair and a pink and white striped apron walked in pushing a trolley, and brought with her a much stronger scent of overly toasted bread.

"Morning sweetie..." 

She addressed him with a warm smile.

"Would you like any breakfast?"

Frank certainly didn't want burnt toast, but he definitely was hungry.

"Sure, what you got?..." 

The woman rattled off a list of things, including various types of cereal, yogurts, fruits...and of course, the dreaded toast.

"I'll have some fruit and yogurt please?...if that's ok?" 

The woman assured him it was fine and served him what he'd asked for, along with a small carton of soya milk, onto the swingy table thing that sat next to his bed, then left, pushing her trolley noisily away with her.  
Frank was pleasantly surprised by how nice the food was, and finished it quickly as he felt like he hadn't eaten in a week.  
About two minutes after he ate the last bite, and chugged the last drops of milk, his door opened again and in walked Mikey Way, his hand linked with a shorter guy who looked like he'd slept in a hedge, and a really tall guy with curly hair that sort of reminded Frank of Ray.

"Hey guys..." 

Frank said tentatively, as Mikey had never been his biggest fan for obvious reasons, and he had no idea who the other two were.

"Where's Gee?"

Mikey and the strangers looked at each other, confused, then turning back to Frank. Mikey frowned.

"We thought he was with you!"

* * *

When Gerard woke up, it took him just seconds for his foggy mind to register that he was no longer curled up next to Frank in the narrow hospital bed. It took him considerably longer to work out where he actually was.  
The room was large and dark and smelled quite strongly of damp. It was a basement, and Gerard was sat on a hard backed wooden chair, with his hands tied behind him and a gag in his mouth that tasted of sweat and lighter fluid. As the fear of his current situation started to worm it's way into his consciousness, Gerard started to feel his heart race and his chest heave painfully. He was heading toward a panic attack, and Frank wasn't there to pull him back.

Of course, the most disturbing thing about this whole fucked-up scenario, was the fact that he recognised the basement. It sat under the house that Gerard had grown up in, and had called "home" for the past 14 years...and that meant...dad!  
Gerard's head spun with the enormity of this. His Dad, the man who was supposed to protect and love him had him tied to a fucking chair in the basement.  
Now, Gerard knew that the Lieutenant General didn't like him, after all, having a "dirty little fag" for a son was not a good look for a respected military man like him, but he never thought his own father would go _this_ far.

Did his dad come to the hospital and just carry him away?...What kind of place was that?...Didn't they have security?...And what about the nurses?...Didn't anyone try to stop him?  
And then there was Frank...fuck, he'd probably think Gerard just changed his mind and left. If Gerard ever saw him again, would Frank still want to be with him?...or would he think the whole thing was just too much trouble?

Hot salty tears slipped from Gerard's eyes at the idea of never seeing his little black-haired boy again. Surely his dad would let him go soon...right? He wouldn't keep him there forever...or worse, kill him...right?

Gerard's breathing was becoming way too fast, and as he panicked and struggled weakly against his restraints, black dots started to invade his vision and everything went a bit wonky.  
The last thing Gerard Way saw before the darkness took him, was two pairs of feet descending the rough wooden stairs into the basement.  
And the last thing he heard, was his father's cold, brutal voice.

"I think you're right, Raymond...this is going to be a lot of fun."

And with that in his head, Gerard slipped into unconsciousness, and could only pray that he'd stay that way for a long while.

* * *

Frank sat nervously in his hospital bed while Mikey paced the floor, cellphone attached to his ear as he waited for his mum to pick up.

"Come on, come _on_..." 

He urged, before slamming his fist against the wall as it went to voicemail.

"Dammit..." 

He huffed, then left a message.

Mom, it's Mikey. When you get this, can you call me back?...please? Ok, I better go. Please call me. Bye..." 

Then he hung up and kicked his left foot hard into the wall.

"Fuck!"

"Calm down baby, we'll find him." 

The short guy who'd introduced himself to Frank as Pete, said gently, placing a hand on Mikey's shoulder comfortingly. Mikey's breath shook as he fought back tears.

"But what if something happened to him? He's not strong. He can't fight." 

The trembling boy collapsed against Pete and sobbed. The tall guy with the hair, who's name Frank didn't remember and who hadn't said more than "Hi" since he entered the room, suddenly piped up.

"Is there anywhere he might go?...a friend's place maybe?"

Frank looked to the floor as Mikey shot him a disgusted glare.

"He doesn't have any..." 

Mikey didn't say "cause of him", but Frank knew that was what he meant.

"And there's nowhere."

The room fell silent again, as they all tried to decide what to do. The tense quiet was shattered by Anthrax's song- Madhouse, as it blasted from Mikey's phone. He pulled it from his pocket and looked at the screen, then instantly put it to his ear.

"Mom...No I...But...Mom that's not...He's..." 

He couldn't get a word in sideways.

Ok mom. I'm on my way." 

And with that, he hung up. Slipping the phone back in his hoodie's pocket, Mikey looked on the very edge of breaking down. He stared at the floor and didn't make a sound. Frank had had enough of this.

"What did she say Mikey?"

The younger boy looked up with tears in his eyes. He looked at each face in turn, Frank, Pete, then Heath...then turned his eyes back to meet Frank's. Swallowing hard, he relayed the gist of what his mother had told him.

"She..."

He sobbed and dug his fingernails into the palms of his hands.

"She said that Gee went home...that he packed a bag...and he left. She...she said he left a note...saying he was n-never coming b-back..." 

He broke then, floods of tears cascading down his thin cheeks.

"Why wouldn't he tell me?...Why would he just go?" 

Pete wrapped his arms around his quaking boyfriend and held him close as he wept uncontrollably.  
Frank felt numb. This wasn't supposed to happen. They'd just made up...they were going to be together. Why would he choose to leave when things were finally starting to get better?...it didn't make sense.  
Something was not right...and Frank was determined to find out the truth, whatever it took.

* * *

Gerard's unconscious state didn't last long, as a bucket of cold water was thrown over him, shocking him back awake.

"Wake up you pathetic little freak..." 

Don Way hissed in his ear. Gerard flinched away as much as his binds allowed.

"We're gonna have some fun."

Gerard didn't know what his dad meant by fun, and he wasn't too sure he wanted to find out. Looking around the damp basement, he began to realise just how much trouble he was actually in right now. Against the wall to his right was a long table. On that table, was his dad's favourite form of punishment...his belt!  
It wasn't a plain belt, it had sharp metal studs all along the length and a large buckle at the end. He'd bought the thing especially for this purpose.

Gerard quaked in fear as he watched his dad pick the length of leather and steel up, and turn it over in his hands. Hot tears streamed down his face as he shook his head violently, pleading with his eyes as he whimpered behind his gag.  
That particular belt was only ever brought out rarely...only when the Lieutenant General was especially mad at him.  
The last time Gerard saw that belt, was the day he'd accidentally spilt hot coffee on the floor after tripping over one of Mikey's shoes.  
Gerard had been unable to even get out of bed for the next two days. Mikey had to sneak him food. That had been about a year ago, and Gerard had avoided such harsh punishments since, by basically becoming a ghost in his own home...silently haunting his tiny bedroom and only creeping out when absolutely necessary.

A small noise behind Gerard's back alerted him to the fact that there was someone else there with them, though he couldn't see who but he could guess.  
His dad had spoken to a Raymond before Gerard had passed out, and he'd put money on it being his dad's best friend, Major General Raymond Briggs...and that was very bad news indeed.  
Briggs was a tyrant, far worse than Gerard's dad had ever been...and when they got together, you best stay out of their way.

Unfortunately for poor Gerard, he was now directly in their path and he wasn't too sure that he was getting out of this alive.

"Let's begin, shall we?" 

Don grinned maliciously, stretching the belt between his fists and advancing on the terrified teen. Gerard pissed himself in fear and wondered if this was his last day on Earth, and if he would ever see his little black-haired boy again.

* * *

Frank was released from the hospital later that day, his mum picking him up in her crappy blue VW and fussing over him like he was at death's door, or something.

"Mumma pleeease?..." 

Frank whined as she ushered him into their house and straight upstairs to bed.

"I have to find him. He's in trouble. I can feel it!" 

He'd been begging Linda Iero, normally a fairly reasonable woman, to let him go look for the missing boy ever since she'd arrived to collect him...no joy...she wasn't having it.

"No Frank..." 

She said sternly, steering him toward his bed and trying to remove his hoodie for him. He quickly batted her hands away and rolled his eyes...he was 16, not 3.

"You just spent the night in hospital with concussion and two cracked ribs. You're going nowhere. Now..." 

She nodded toward the bed, effectively ending their previous discussion.

"Shoes and jeans off. Get to bed."

Apparently he'd lost the argument.

"Muuuma?"

"Now Franklin!"

"Yes mumma." 

Frank dropped his voice and his head, knowing that once she started calling him that, he really _had_ lost the fight. Toeing off his Converse and unbuttoning his flies, Frank raised an eyebrow at his mother and she took the hint to leave his room.  
Once the door was shut, Frank did his jeans back up, pushed his feet back into his ratty shoes and headed over to the window. Quietly unlocking and raising the sash window, Frank slipped out onto the roof of the front porch, before lowering it back down and stepping carefully to the edge. There was a railing that ran around the side of the porch, behind the swing that Frank couldn't remember sitting on since he was 9, and he and Gerard used to sit there and eat cookies after school...he really missed that!

Swinging himself off the side of the roof, he used the rail as a step before jumping to the ground and instantly taking off running.  
Now, the painkillers that the hospital gave him before he left must really work, cause he couldn't feel a thing except a slight pulling around his ribs, and a pleasant numbness in his brain...but he knew that wouldn't last so he had to make the most of the time he had before crippling pain shot through his body again, and he was forced to crawl back home, tail between his legs, and beg his mother's forgiveness for sneaking off like that.

Racing the two and a half miles across the town...along S Franklin Avenue, over the Second River, back past the Clara Maass Medical Centre where he'd spent all last night, up Newark Avenue, and finally into Salter Place...Frank was panting like a dog as he approached number 69, a house he hadn't been in for 7 long years.  
He'd stood outside the house during that time, well, hid in the bushes like some creepy stalker dude anyway, hoping for a glimpse of Gerard looking happy, cause he never did at school, but he hadn't been inside.

Trying to catch his breath, lungs burning and ribs now starting to ache...huh, drugs must be wearing off...Frank was surprised to see the front door open before he'd even had a chance to knock, and a teary Mikey, along with his and Gerard's mom, leaving the house carrying a large, heavy looking suitcase each. 

"Mikey?..." 

Frank tentatively approached him.

"What's going on?"

Mikey sighed, put the case on the floor by his feet and stepped toward the older boy.

"Mom and me are going away for a while..." 

He said dejectedly.

"Gee's really gone Frank." 

He whimpered slightly, before bursting into tears and collapsing against Frank's chest, clinging to his hoodie and soaking it as he wept openly. Frank stood frozen for a moment, unsure what the Hell was happening right now, then wrapped his arms round the shaking, wailing 13 year old and tried to comfort him as his own tears made tracks down his flushed cheeks.

"Where are you going?" 

Frank finally asked, as he struggled to pull himself together. Mikey pulled back and sniffed pathetically.

"Don't know...Mom won't say..." 

He glanced daggers at his mum as she sat waiting for him in the car.

"She won't even tell me when we're coming back." 

He moaned. Frank frowned deep.

"I'll find him Mikey...I promise."

Mikey looked away for a minute, just getting his breathing under control again, then turned back, poker face back on.

"You actually love him, don't you." 

It wasn't even a question...Mikey knew.

"I do..." 

Frank nodded, sadly.

"I guess I always have...but I was just a dumb kid, copying the sentiments of other dumb kids, and I lost sight of who I was..." 

He dropped his head to stare at the driveway beneath his feet. He stayed silent for a moment or two as Mikey sniffed and his mum honked the car horn impatiently.

"I'm sorry for everything I ever said and did to Gee...and I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to him, if he'll let me..." 

Frank met Mikey's watery gaze again.

"I will find him Mikey...you have my word."

Mikey pulled Frank back into his arms and hugged him tight.

"This doesn't mean I trust you..." 

He muttered over Frank's head.

"Or forgive you..." 

Frank nodded a little.

"But I trust Gee, and he clearly sees some good in you so..." 

He held Frank out at arm's length.

"Find him, please?..." 

Frank nodded through fresh tears, as Donna thumped the horn twice more.

"OK MOM..." 

Mikey shouted over his shoulder.

"I'M COMING!..." 

Then he turned back to Frank and pulled a pen from his pocket.

"Give me your hand..." 

Frank stuck out his left arm, and Mikey proceeded to write a series of numbers on it.

"My cell..." 

Mikey explained.

"Call me when you have news..." 

Frank nodded and the horn blared loudly again. Mikey rolled his eyes.

"I better go...before she has an aneurism..." 

He smiled wryly at Frank, who chuckled back.

"Take care Frank...don't forget to call?"

Frank assured the younger boy that he would tell him anything he found out, and that he shouldn't worry cause he'd have Gerard home in no time. And then Mikey was gone, and Frank was left there, standing outside Gerard's front door with absolutely no idea where to start his search.  
If only he knew just how close Gerard was at that very moment...but he didn't, and with one last glance up at the house, Frank slowly turned and headed back toward home...really regretting not bringing any painkillers with him, as the ache in his ribs and head got gradually worse and worse.

* * *

The basement was dark when Gerard regained consciousness. Don and Raymond had spent hours beating him with that damn belt, taking turns when their arms got tired. Gerard's voice was wrecked from screaming and he was pretty sure he'd run out of tears.  
He could feel the blood dried on his ripped and torn back, and he had never wanted to die more than he did right now.  
Don had told him that Mikey and his mum had gone away, and that he'd never see them again if _he_ had anything to do with it. Gerard was about 99% certain that his dad had worked as a torturer for the army, before he'd retired two years ago. It would explain a lot.

Now, sitting back-to-front on the hard wooden chair, arms and legs bound with rough rope, he wondered if Don had ever loved him as a father should love a son...or was he always just waiting for the time to come that he could destroy his first born?

Thoughts of Frank inevitably invaded his broken mind. Where was he? Was he ok? Was he thinking of Gerard?...Did he even really care?  
Gerard thought the answers were probably- Home. Yes. No. and Highly unlikely.

There was no point really. Gerard knew he wasn't getting out of there. After what Don and Raymond had done, the only place he should be now was a hospital...but that wouldn't be happening. They wouldn't risk going to jail, just to save his sorry life.

Hanging his head down, and letting his chin rest against his thin, bare chest, Gerard imagined a better life, one where there was no Don and Raymond...where there were no bullies, and he could be happy with Frank by his side. Gerard choked out a laugh.

"Yeah, like that's gonna happen."

God, he wanted to die.

* * *

Frank was grounded til the end of time.  
After sneaking out, then collapsing from pain on his way back home and having to phone his worried and majorly pissed off mother for a pick-up, he'd be lucky if he was allowed out before he turned 80. Of course, that had never stopped him before and wouldn't now, except that his head and ribs made him wonder if he hadn't actually been trampled by elephants when he wasn't looking.

Sat on his bed, back pressed against the headboard, Frank tapped away on his laptop, trying everything he could think of to locate the missing boy.  
Gerard had a Facebook account, and Frank had friended him ages ago, (using a fake name, of course) but with everyone at school hating him, he had few friends on the site and only rarely went on. He hadn't been on since he'd disappeared.  
Frank knew that Gerard didn't go on Twitter, ever...cause of the comments he'd received during the two weeks that he'd tried it. Hateful stuff, that regularly told him to go kill himself.  
Gerard was not online...anywhere.

Frank sighed deeply, trying to think of what else to try. If Gerard had run away, then he'd need somewhere to stay.  
Frank looked up homeless shelters and was surprised that none actually came up in Bellville, but there was one in Nutley, and more than one in Newark, so he started calling each one and asking if Gerard was there. One after another, they all said no.  
Where the fuck had he gone?...Was he sleeping rough under a bridge somewhere?...Was he safe?

Tears dripped onto the keys of his ageing computer. He had to find him, and quick...Gerard wouldn't last long on his own out there. As smart as the younger boy was, that wouldn't help him if someone decided to hurt him, and Frank didn't think he could cope if that happened.  
He was running out of ideas, and had begun to think that all was lost.  
Sobbing desperately, he didn't hear his mother coming up the stairs with his laundry, freshly washed and folded in her arms.  
When she walked in his room, she froze for a second, then placed his clothes on his desk and went to sit on the edge of the bed.  
Frank jumped slightly as the mattress dipped on his right and he turned to see worried eyes staring back at him.

"Frank?..." 

And then he was in her arms, burying his head in her shoulder and crying like a baby.

"Tell me." 

She hummed against his soft black hair, gently rubbing comforting circles on his back,. as he sniffed and sobbed pathetically.

"Oh mumma..." 

He whined.

"I don't know what to do." 

But he was too distraught to carry on.

Linda Iero was a saint...that was the conclusion that Frank had come to anyway. After his melt-down, and after she'd made him a large mug of strong sweet tea, Frank's mum had coaxed his worries out of him, and was now helping him down the stairs so that she could drive him around to look for the missing teenager.  
Neither of them really knew where to start the search, but that wouldn't stop them.

"I think we should try down by the river..." 

Linda murmured, whether to Frank or herself, Frank wasn't sure.

"There's lots of homeless there. It's a place to start."

Frank hummed in agreement as he stared out the window, checking every pale face, and every black haired person that they drove passed.  
As the day wore on, and nowhere produced even a hint of Gerard's presence, Frank became more and more despondent.

"We're not gonna find him, mumma..." 

He whined.

"It's hopeless." 

Tears fell as he slumped lower in his seat, arms wrapped miserably around his middle. Linda glanced at her son. She knew he loved the little Way boy, but she'd never realised how much.

"No, nothing's hopeless Frank, we just haven't worked this out yet. We'll find him."

Frank loved his mother's optimism, but right now he just couldn't share it.

"But where else is there to look?"

Linda thought for a minute.

"You said Mikey and his mom went away?..." 

Frank nodded, not sure where she was headed with this.

"But his dad's still home?..." 

She prompted. He still looked confused. Linda rolled her eyes.

"I think we should go talk to him."

Frank's face split into a huge grin. Why the Hell didn't he think of that before? 

"You're a genius, mumma!" 

He cheered as she turned left onto S Franklin Avenue and headed across the town.  
When they reached Salter Place, and pulled up outside number 69, Frank got suddenly nervous. He hadn't spoken to Don Way in over 7 years, but he'd seen the man, and he'd seen how he treated poor Gerard. This was not a very nice guy, and this could go very badly indeed.

With a reassuring smile from his mother, Frank got awkwardly out of the car...ribs hurting a bit, as he'd forgotten his pain pills...and walked up to the front door. Stood there psyching himself up, Frank was just about to knock when he heard what sounded like a scream..and it was coming from inside the house.

Frank looked nervously back at the car, hand still poised to knock, then he slowly lowered it and looked around himself. Both of the Way's cars were missing from the driveway. Donna's blue Lexus, and Don's green truck. So, no one was home?  
Frank heard another scream, and this time he was certain that it came from inside, and more precisely, from below him...the basement.

Heart quickening, Frank turned and hurried around to the left side of the house, where he knew there was a small ground-level window into the dark, subterranean room. Pulling aside the scratchy branches of a small bush, Frank crawled in on his hands and knees, wincing as his hand pressed on a sharp stone, and eventually reached the small grubby pane of glass.  
The screams were louder here, just confirming Frank's theory that they were coming from the basement. Peering in through the dirty window, Frank felt his heart just about stop.

There, tied to a chair...naked...bruised and bloodied...a gag half in his mouth, half out...was Gerard...his Gee! 

"Fuck!"

The window was too small for even Frank to squeeze through. He had to find another way in.

"Frank?"

Frank jumped and twisted awkwardly, falling on his butt in the dirt.

"Shit mumma..." 

He muttered, rubbing his sore ass.

"Don't sneak up on me like that."

Linda folded her arms across her chest and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Don't swear at me young man. And what are you doing, anyway?" 

She relaxed her stance and moved toward him.

"I found Gee." 

He whimpered slightly and pointed at the little window. Linda tilted her head and frowned, but after a moment she got down on her knees to see what he'd discovered.

"Oh my God..." 

She breathed.

"I'll go call the police, you see if there's a way in the house."

"Mumma?...are you giving me permission to break and enter?" 

Frank looked at her with wide eyes.

"Whatever it takes Frankie. Just be careful, ok?" 

Linda kissed his forehead then got up and headed back to the front of the house, phone already in hand. Frank looked through the window again. The screaming had stopped, and Gerard's head was hung low on his chest.  
Frank knocked on the glass. Gerard didn't even flinch. Frank knocked harder and Gerard's head slowly lifted and turned his way.

Big glassy eyes, red from tears and black from bruises blinked up at the small window...the only source of light in the room right now...and saw an angel looking back at him. Gerard was pretty sure he was dreaming, or hallucinating, and he was almost 100% certain that he was just minutes from death right now, cause Don and Raymond had made no attempt to hide their conversation from him...when they were discussing what tools they'd need to dismember a body...his body! Then they'd gone off to the hardware store.  
Gerard smiled at the angel, bloody spit dripping from his lips. That angel looked like Frankie.

"Frankie." 

Gerard whispered, his voice lost from screaming...and then the darkness consumed him again, and his chin dropped onto his chest as his eyes rolled back in his head.

Frank bit hard on his lip at the horrible sight, hot tears water-falling down his cheeks unchecked.

"I'm coming." 

He muttered, then stood and ran around to the back of the house.  
The back door had a screen over it, but that was ripped almost to pieces from years of neglect and rough treatment. Frank pulled it open and tried the door. He expected it to be locked. He thought he'd have to break a window to get in...but to Frank's great surprise, the door was unlocked,and opened easily.  
Frank slipped inside.

It was a long time since Frank had set foot in this house, but he remembered the layout as of it were his own. Walking quickly, Frank headed to the basement door and prised it open...it squeaked like something from a horror movie and Frank felt a cold shiver run up his spine.  
Licking his dry lips, Frank reached into the dark doorway and groped for the light switch. Finding it after a few seconds, Frank clicked it on and blinked at the sudden brightness.  
He could hear his heart thundering in his ears, pure adrenaline coursing through his veins as he started down the creaky wooden steps and into the space below. When Frank's foot hit the concrete floor of the basement, he stood frozen for a second or two as his eyes fell on the boy he'd come to find.

"Gee..." 

He breathed, almost silently. Then he was across the room in an instant, pulling on the ropes that bound Gerard to the hard, wooden chair.

"I got you Gee. I got you." 

He mumbled, fingers working at the knots. It didn't take very long to get the ropes lose enough to free the thin, naked boy. Then Frank carefully wrapped a blanket he'd found on a chair in the corner around the younger boy, and started to pick him up. Just then, Frank's cellphone rang in his pocket...his mum's ringtone.  
Frank sat on the chair, with Gerard unconscious in his lap and pulled out his phone. Yep...it was his mum.

"What is it mumma?...I'm kinda busy here."

"Frank..." 

She sounded upset, scared even.

.Get your butt out of that house now."

Frank frowned.

"Mumma?"

"He's back Frank. Get out...now!" 

She didn't hang up, just held the phone down from her ear so Frank heard as she started to talk...to Don.

"Oh shit..." 

Frank sobbed slightly, putting the phone in his pocket and standing up, Gerard hanging limp in his arms.

"Shitshitshitshit!"

Heading up the stairs, he could just about still hear his mother's voice, small and weak through the phone's earpiece. It meant she was still talking to him. It meant he still had time.  
Creeping back through the small cramped kitchen, Frank reached out to open the door, freedom just a step away and then...the door was opened from the other side.

Frank's eyes grew wide with fear as he backed away from the man in the doorway. He'd seen this man before at the house, when he'd been creeping on Gerard from the bushes. He was one of Don's friends, and Frank had never seen the man smile.

"Well well. Isn't this interesting..." 

The man, who's name Frank didn't know muttered darkly, a sinister glint in his eye.

"Guess it's two for one day..." 

He smirked.

"Come here."

He reached for Frank's arm, but Frank's survival instincts kicked in quick and he jumped back, spinning on his toes, then dashed off through the house, careful not to hit Gerard's head on any door frames on the way.  
Frank could hear the man charging after him as he sprinted for the ground floor bathroom, the only room pretty much guaranteed to have a lock on the door. He could almost feel the monster's breath on the back of his neck as he swung through the door and slammed it shut, locking it with a fast flick of his fingers.

The man crashed into the door and Frank's breath caught as he heard the wood splintering. Frank sat on the floor with his back to the door and his feet braced against the side of the bathtub, Gerard's limp body pressed to his chest as he sobbed and shook, terrified that the door would give way.  
The man was shouting and swearing, kicking at the bathroom door with all his might and Frank just knew that it wouldn't hold.

Somehow, over the noise the man was making, and over the sound of his own desperate cries, Frank heard his mother's voice, shouting distantly through the phone in his pocket. Shifting Gerard's body so Frank had a hand free, he pulled out his cell and lifted it back up to his ear, each kick at the door making him gasp as it shook against his back.

"Mumma?" 

He sobbed.

"Frank?...oh thank God! Did you get out?" 

She rushed her words like she'd been drinking too much coffee. Frank shook his head, though he was aware that she couldn't see him.

"No Mumma. We're...we're in the bathroom. He's trying to g-get in." 

He cried, tears falling as he saw Gerard's eyes flutter slightly.

"Fuck!..." 

Linda hissed.

"Look, I couldn't hold him off, he's coming in now...wait, who's trying to get to you?" 

She was confused.

"It's D-Don's friend." 

Frank stuttered as a particularly heavy kick to the door made him bounce forward a little, gasping in shock.

"Hold on Frank..." 

Linda begged her son.

"The cops are coming. It's gonna be ok."

"OPEN THIS FUCKING DOOR, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" 

Don shouted through the wood as the hinges started to break free from the wall.

"I love you Mumma..." 

Frank sobbed into the phone, then hung up. If this was it for him, he didn't want his mother to hear it happen. He placed the phone on the ground by his side, listening to it start to ring a moment later as he wrapped himself around Gerard's fragile, broken form.

"I love you Gee. I've always loved you...and I always will..." 

He sobbed into Gerard's hair as the top hinge broke completely away.

"I'm here baby, I'm here, I'm here, I'm here..." 

He chanted as the wood cracked and splintered behind him.

"YOU'RE BOTH DEAD WHEN WE GET THROUGH THIS FUCKING DOOR..." 

Don hollered.

"YOU HEAR ME?"

Frank shook and cried, face buried against Gerard's neck, skin cold beneath his touch. Suddenly Frank's head shot up as a small cool hand stroked away his tears.

"Gee?" 

He whimpered, seeing those beautiful eyes looking back at him.

"It's ok Frankie angel..." 

Gerard smiled softly, the blood on his teeth and lips making him look like an extra in a horror movie.

"You can let go now...I'm done in..." 

A pained cough shook his small body and he groaned, eyes rolling back a little before they refocused on Frank's face.

"They've won."

"No. No baby..." 

Frank shook his head, fresh tears falling.

"Help's coming baby. Just stay with me...stay with me Gee."

"I l-love...you..F-Frankie..." 

Gerard's breath grew shallower and more ragged every moment.

"I..l-ove...y..."

"Gee?..GEEEE!!..." 

The second hinge gave way and the two men were in the room, hands grabbing and pulling the boys apart.

GEEEEEEE!"

The last thing Frank saw before darkness took him, as the nameless man's hands pressed in around his throat, was Don Way, dragging Gee's pale, lifeless body out of the room.

In the distance, sirens wailed...but Frank didn't hear them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the chapter, remember, comments encourage updates...though there is only one more chapter to go.  
> Xx


	4. Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ending was always going to happen, right from the start...get comfy and enjoy the ride...  
> oh, and you might want a box of tissues handy...just saying.
> 
> * * *

Linda Iero was panicking outside the house, waiting on the police that she could hear, somewhere in the distance, headed their way.  
She was just considering going and banging on the front door herself, when a taxi pulled up beside her and an angry looking Mikey Way jumped out and headed toward the house.

"Wait..." 

She called after him. Mikey looked back at her.

"My son's in there."

Mikey raised his eyebrows.

"Frank?..." 

She nodded, tears filling her eyes.

"I'll find him." 

Then he let himself into the house and shut the door behind him.  
Mikey could hear scuffling coming from the back hallway, and slipped his hand into his inside pocket, thin fingers wrapping around the reassuring weight of the hand gun his mother had reluctantly given him.  
Pulling the weapon out, he clicked off the safety and crept toward the dull sounds of choking and cursing. Rounding the corner he saw that asshole, Major General Raymond Briggs, with his hands wrapped around Frank's throat, throttling the life right out of him. Briggs didn't see him and Frank looked all but dead now, so Mikey raised the gun with shaky hands, aiming it at the older man...and fired.

The shot sounded like an explosion going off in the tiny space and Briggs yelped, letting go of Frank who fell silently to the floor, and staggered sideways.  
Mikey had caught him in the shoulder, and now the angry man was advancing on him. He fired the gun again and Briggs fell, lifeless eyes staring at the ceiling, blood quickly pooling beneath him.  
Mikey's hands trembled and his eyes filled up, but he quickly regained his composure as he heard his dad's voice coming from the basement.

"Thought you were going to strangle the little shit, not shoot him?!"

Mikey looked over at where Frank lay in the doorway of the bathroom.. He was waking up.

"Frank..." 

Mikey hissed at him as he stepped over Briggs' dead body.

"I'll hold off my dad, you get Gee out of here."

"M-Mikey?...how are you here?" 

Frank croaked out as he dragged himself to his feet.

"Mum broke down and told me what dad did. She gave me this..." 

He held up the gun to show Frank.

"She told me to finish it..." 

Mikey grimaced as he heard his dad's footsteps start up the basement steps toward them. He quickly dragged Frank into the kitchen.

"Now, if you love my brother like you say you do?..." 

Frank nodded enthusiastically, though the movement seemed to cause him pain.

"...then you'll get him out, and don't look back. I'll deal with my dad."

Frank sobbed slightly. He couldn't leave the 13 year old to face his psycho father alone, could he? Mikey quickly got him to hide in the corner so he could sneak down to the basement while the Lieutenant General was otherwise engaged, then Mikey slipped back out of the room.

Don Way stepped up into the kitchen and headed back toward the bathroom. He wanted to know why Raymond hadn't answered him before, and why he'd felt the need to use his weapon in the house. That seemed like a bit of overkill if you asked him. Reaching the bathroom, he froze in his steps. On the floor, clearly dead, with a large hole in the middle of his face...was Briggs...and standing over him, gun hung from his fingertips at his side, was Mikey.

"Michael James Way..." 

Don seethed, anger flowing through his veins.

"What the FUCK did you do?"

Mikey shivered with fear and slowly raised the gun to point at his father. Don shot him a disgusted look and quickly pulled his own gun from the back waistband of his pants, levelling it at the terrified teen. Mikey swallowed heavily...he had a feeling that this wasn't going to end very well for him, but all he really wanted was to give Frank enough time to get Gerard to safety. He breathed, shakily.

"Why dad?..." 

He stalled.

"Why did you do it?"

They stood there in a standoff, Don glaring daggers at his youngest son. Meanwhile, Frank had made it down the rough wooden steps and scooped the unconscious Gerard into his arms, before quietly creeping back up into the house.  
He thought for a moment about going to help Mikey, but the thin pale boy, whimpering softly against his chest made his mind up for him, and he quickly slipped out the back door.

As he reached the front of the house, ambulances were pulling up and his mother was running across the dry grass toward him, tears leaving mascara tracks down her cheeks.

"Oh Frank...oh thank God..." 

She pulled him into her arms, awkwardly hugging around him and Gerard. 

"I thought I'd lost you." 

She cried. 

Paramedics ushered them over to an ambulance, and Gerard was laid down in the back, while Frank sat on the back step as they were both examined. While the medics worked on Gerard, giving him oxygen and pain relief, two police cars arrived and four officers hurried over to find out what exactly was happening.  
Frank explained as best he could, though the shock he was apparently suffering from made intelligent speech rather difficult...but the cops got the gist of what he was telling them and were soon drawing their own guns and heading toward the house.

They hadn't taken more than a couple of steps though, when two gunshots rang out from inside the house.  
Everyone froze for a moment, then the police officers were all running in and Frank and Linda were being loaded quickly into the back of the ambulance and driven away at speed.  
Linda held Frank against her side as they headed toward the hospital. It was a short journey, and Frank kept hold of both his mother's and Gerard's hand the entire way.  
He wanted to know what was happening back at the house, but no one here knew any more than he did at this point. He would have to wait.

When they reached the hospital, Gerard was whisked away into one of the main emergency rooms, while Frank was taken to cubicles to be examined.  
He didn't want to leave Gerard's side, but right now, pain and exhaustion were getting the best of him and soon after a pretty nurse with blonde and green hair and purple tunnels in her ears gave him a pill to help him relax, he passed right out.  
Linda slept in a chair by his side, all that night.

* * *

_~Time Lapse, 10 days later~_

"Frank..are you ready?...we gotta go..." 

Linda stuck her head around her son's bedroom door and smiled sadly at him.

"You look so handsome."

Frank looked at his mother's reflection as he finished tying his tie.

"I hate wearing suits, Mumma..." 

He frowned as he turned to face her.

"It's not me."

Linda shook her head as they left the room together, heading down the stairs.

"No, it's not..." 

She agreed.

"You suit your skinny jeans and band tees more. But today's important..." 

She sighed as they left the house and climbed into the car.

"This is for him."

Frank hung his head.

"I know Mumma. I'd just be more comfortable in my own clothes."

He clipped in his seatbelt as Linda started the car. Then they were off.  
The journey took a little under an hour, and Frank spent most of that time staring out his window at the passing cars that became fewer the closer they got to their destination.  
When Linda turned the car in through the huge black, cast iron gates, Frank flicked off the radio that had been playing quietly the whole way there, and turned to look at his mother. He could see she was trying to be strong for him, trying not to cry, but she seemed to be fighting a losing battle right now.

"Do you think he'll be here?" 

He asked, quietly. Linda parked up and turned off the ignition, before turning to face Frank.

"I don't know sweetie..." 

She sighed.

"He's been through a lot."

Frank looked up at the small red brick building in front of them. It didn't look like he'd imagined it would, not as grand somehow. He felt a little disappointed, like they were being cheated. He shook his head to clear these useless thoughts. Today wasn't about him. Getting out of the car, Frank looked around the small parking lot and saw other cars parked neatly in rows.  
Linda came around the car and gently took his hand.

"Let's go in." 

She said, quietly.  
Inside the building there were several rows of chairs, all facing toward a raised platform at the other end of the room. Many of these seats were taken, but Frank only recognised a handful of the people there.  
At the front of the room, he could see Donna's bright blonde hair, her head hung low. He thought briefly that her hair looked too brash for such a solemn occasion, but he guessed that she wasn't really in the mood for a trip to the hairdressers right now, so he let the thought slide.

As they made their way down the centre aisle, in between the seats, Frank's heart skipped slightly as he saw who was sitting to Donna's left.

"He's here Mumma." 

Frank whispered as they slid into a seat, a couple rows back from the front. Linda squeezed her son's hand reassuringly. She knew he just wanted to go over there now, but he'd have to wait until after.

About ten minutes later, a tall dark haired man in a somber black suit stepped up onto the platform. What small amount of quiet talking that had been going on, stopped as he cleared his throat.

"Good morning. We gather here today to celebrate the life of a young man, who has been returned home to his place with God far earlier than he should have been..." 

The minister spoke of how sad it was to lose one so young and how he would be greatly missed by all who knew him. Frank felt tears slide down his cheeks and didn't bother to wipe them away.  
The minister then told of how good the boy was, always caring for his brother even when times were hard. Frank sat, numbness spreading through his mind as the minister's words bled together.

"Let us go in peace to live out the Word of God." 

The service ended and everyone stood, making their way slowly outside, following the coffin as it was carried toward the graveyard behind the building.  
Frank wanted to go to him now but Linda kept him close, holding onto his hand as they trailed between the headstones. He could just see him, being pushed in his wheelchair by his distraught mother. His head hung low, his hair hiding his pale face from view.  
When they reached the open graveside, everyone watched in silence as the coffin was carefully lowered into the ground. The minister spoke softly, lines he'd said a hundred times before.

"Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return to God who gave it. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust..." 

He formed the holy cross over his chest.

"Amen." 

Everyone quietly echoed the word, and the burial service was over.  
Looking around the faces as they started to drift away, Frank saw that everyone without exception had tears falling from their eyes. A few feet away, Donna stood holding her son's hand and weeping openly.

"Please Mumma?..." 

Frank pulled at his hand.

"I need to see him."

Linda sighed and smiled softly, pulling him in for a small hug.

"I'll be at the car." 

She whispered, then turned and walked away. Frank took a deep breath and stepped toward the grieving pair.

"Mrs Way?..." 

Donna peered at him through wet eyelashes.

"I am so sorry for your loss." 

He looked down at his feet.

"You should be..." 

She spat out, bitterly. Frank cringed.

"You left him in that house to face that monster alone."

Gerard finally lifted his head and looked up at his mother.

"Don't blame Frankie, Ma..." 

His voice was scratchy from crying.

"He saved me, he did what Mikey told him to do..." 

He turned his head toward his little black haired boy.

"Hi...I like your suit." 

He smiled weakly. Frank stepped closer and crouched down in front of Gerard's chair, gently taking his thin cold hands in his.

"I like yours too..." 

He lifted Gerard's right hand and softly kissed his fingertips.

"I am sorry, ya know?..." 

Gerard nodded slightly, looking down.

"If I could've gone back in for him, I would've...you know that, right?"

Gerard lifted his eyes up to meet Frank's again.

"And then I would've lost both of you..." 

He sighed deeply, leaning forward in his chair.

"You did the right thing, Frankie Angel."

Frank smiled softly.

"Am I still your Frankie?...Do you still want me around?"

Gerard frowned.

"Of course you are...how could you think otherwise?..." 

Gerard pulled Frank into his arms, hugging him awkwardly as Donna watched nearby.

"I love you, Frankie..." 

He whispered in Frank's ear.

"That won't ever change."

Frank smiled properly for the first time in nearly two weeks.

"I love you too, baby...always."

Gerard pulled back to look in Frank's gentle eyes.

"Let's go home Frankie..."

Frank grinned as he stood up, his knees popping as he straightened them out. He stepped behind Gerard's chair and pushed it away from the graveside.

"Goodbye Mikey..." 

Gerard breathed as they headed toward their cars.

"I'll miss you."

 

 

At the side of the graveyard, just out of sight in the edge of the wood, Don Way watched the three sad figures walking away. A tear slipped down his cheek for all he'd lost.

"The wrong one..." 

He muttered, stepping back between the trees.

"Soon. I'll fix it soon."

 

 

 

 

_THE END!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we've come to the end. I know the last lines left this open for a sequel, but I never wrote one...maybe I will one day.
> 
> Feel free to check out some of my other fics.
> 
> Bye for now.  
> Xxx


End file.
